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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: staff · nail · field · current · kick · fork · fine · track

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. track — a path
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. field — for sport
  6. current — of water
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. field — a subject
  9. fork — in a road
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. field — farmland
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. current — electric
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. staff — employees
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. current — happening now
  19. track — a song
  20. kick — in football
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. track — to keep track
  24. fine — high quality

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