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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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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. staff — a stick
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. staff — employees
  8. pit — in a race
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fork — in a road
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — music
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. staff — employees
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pit — a hole

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