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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fork — in a road
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. wax — to grow
  10. track — a song
  11. tube — a container
  12. track — a path
  13. bound — tied together
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. tube — the underground
  16. track — to keep track
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. fork — to eat with

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