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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: suit · toast · mine · rest · fork · field · rash · court

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. mine — for digging
  3. suit — in cards
  4. fork — in a road
  5. rest — what's left
  6. court — for sport
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — a series
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. court — of a king
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — to fit
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. court — of law
  19. field — a subject
  20. toast — bread
  21. rest — a break
  22. field — for sport
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. mine — belonging to me

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