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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. track — to keep track
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. rock — music
  9. track — a song
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. spring — of water
  13. cue — for pool
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. spring — the season
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — a signal
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. charge — a price
  21. rock — a stone
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — electricity
  24. fork — in a road

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