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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
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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: field · clip · stem · fork · degree · fine · bulb · object

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. object — an aim
  4. fork — in a road
  5. object — a thing
  6. fine — all right
  7. bulb — for light
  8. clip — to cut
  9. degree — temperature
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — high quality
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. degree — from a university
  14. clip — for paper
  15. field — for sport
  16. degree — an amount
  17. field — a subject
  18. object — to protest
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. field — farmland
  22. bulb — for light
  23. clip — a video
  24. stem — to come from

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