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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: bound · field · racket · current · fork · key · ruler · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. key — for a lock
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. field — a subject
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — certain
  11. current — electric
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fork — in a road
  17. key — in music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. field — for sport
  21. bound — tied together
  22. field — farmland
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — of water

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