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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 · date · current · bulb · cue · root · court · fork

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. current — electric
  3. field — a subject
  4. court — of law
  5. court — of a king
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. root — the cause
  8. field — for sport
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a hint
  11. current — happening now
  12. bulb — for light
  13. court — for sport
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — in a road
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. current — of water
  21. cue — a signal
  22. root — of a word
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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