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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: field · leaves · fork · spring · racket · cap · arm · row

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — of ice
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. spring — a coil
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — for sport
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. field — a subject
  12. cap — a lid
  13. row — a line
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. row — to paddle
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. spring — of water
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. spring — the season

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