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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 120 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: field · stand · fork · key · bulb · chest · arm · season

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. key — in music
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — in a road
  5. field — farmland
  6. season — in sport
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bulb — for light
  9. season — of the year
  10. field — for sport
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bulb — for light
  13. field — a subject
  14. stand — to bear
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. key — for a lock
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. chest — a box
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. arm — part of the body

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