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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. track — a path
  3. fork — in a road
  4. chest — of your body
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. net — for catching
  7. chest — of your body
  8. object — a thing
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. object — an aim
  11. chip — for betting
  12. net — after costs
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. track — to keep track
  16. chest — a box
  17. chip — to eat
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. track — a song
  20. toast — bread
  21. object — to protest
  22. net — in sport
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fork — a garden tool

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