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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · key · field · fork · jam · firm · club · clip

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. field — farmland
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. field — a subject
  5. club — a group
  6. fork — in a road
  7. firm — steady
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. field — for sport
  13. clip — to cut
  14. club — for dancing
  15. key — for a lock
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — all right
  18. clip — for paper
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. firm — decided
  21. key — the most important part
  22. club — for golf
  23. key — in music
  24. firm — a company

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com