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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: fine · cue · mark · saw · prune · field · fork · mate

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. cue — a hint
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. mate — to breed
  5. fine — all right
  6. field — a subject
  7. mark — a trace
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. cue — a signal
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. saw — the tool
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. prune — to trim
  15. field — farmland
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. mate — a partner
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mate — a friend
  23. cue — for pool
  24. field — for sport

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