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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. track — to keep track
  4. current — happening now
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bound — obliged
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. track — a song
  10. current — electric
  11. saw — the tool
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. current — of water
  14. kid — to tease
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bound — certain
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. track — a path
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bound — tied together
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. kid — child

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