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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. track — a song
  5. scale — size or range
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. scale — in music
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. track — to keep track

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