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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: bound · rash · date · fan · suit · field · fork · drill

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. rash — a series
  3. bound — certain
  4. fork — in a road
  5. suit — clothes
  6. rash — hasty
  7. date — the fruit
  8. drill — army training
  9. suit — in cards
  10. field — for sport
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. suit — to fit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bound — obliged
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. field — a subject
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. drill — a practice
  24. field — farmland

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