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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 120 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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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: race · field · row · fork · land · bay · mug · snap

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. mug — a face
  3. row — to paddle
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. row — a line
  6. race — humankind
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to click
  9. field — for sport
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. field — farmland
  13. land — to come down
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. mug — a cup
  16. land — ground
  17. mug — to rob
  18. land — a country
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. field — a subject
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. race — a contest

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