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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 116 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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fall — the season
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fall — to drop
  6. plane — a tool
  7. track — a path
  8. prune — to trim
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. track — a song
  11. track — to keep track
  12. stock — goods
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. wake — a trail
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — shares
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. fan — a supporter

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