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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. fork — in a road
  3. track — to keep track
  4. staff — employees
  5. spell — letters
  6. fall — the season
  7. chip — to eat
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fall — to drop
  10. perch — the fish
  11. fall — to drop
  12. chip — for betting
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. spell — a short time
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. spell — magic
  20. track — a path
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. staff — employees
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. 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