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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. rock — a stone
  4. fork — in a road
  5. rash — hasty
  6. track — a song
  7. rash — a series
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a path
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rock — music
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick

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