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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. track — a song
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — a container
  6. ball — a great time
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. date — the fruit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. track — a path
  13. bass — low music
  14. track — to keep track
  15. race — humankind
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bass — the fish
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. ball — a dance
  21. race — the arms race
  22. lie — to recline
  23. race — a contest
  24. tube — in a tire

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