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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 · fork · mug · roll · date · wake · bear · safe

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. date — the fruit
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. field — a subject
  5. mug — a cup
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. mug — a face
  9. fork — in a road
  10. wake — a trail
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. roll — a list
  18. bear — the animal
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. field — for sport
  21. roll — a cake
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bear — the animal
  24. field — farmland

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