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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: key · fork · mug · arm · last · row · leaves · field

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. last — final
  3. fork — in a road
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. key — for a lock
  6. field — farmland
  7. field — for sport
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — in music
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. field — a subject
  12. mug — a cup
  13. last — to go on
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. mug — a face
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. mug — to rob
  18. last — finally
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. row — a line
  23. row — to paddle
  24. fork — a garden tool

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