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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: wake · fine · bear · rush · field · fork · pop · cell

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — soda
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. fine — all right
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fork — in a road
  9. pop — music
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. field — a subject
  15. cell — in biology
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. field — farmland
  21. wake — a trail
  22. field — for sport
  23. cell — a phone
  24. fine — high quality

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