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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: field · fine · can · land · scale · date · cell · fork

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. fork — in a road
  3. scale — in music
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. land — a country
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. field — for sport
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. field — farmland
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fine — all right
  12. can — a tin
  13. fine — high quality
  14. land — to come down
  15. cell — in biology
  16. can — to be able to
  17. land — ground
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. scale — size or range
  21. field — a subject
  22. can — a tin
  23. cell — a phone
  24. scale — for weighing

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