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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. net — after costs
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — steady
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. wind — moving air
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. rock — a stone
  11. fork — in a road
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. rock — music
  16. track — to keep track
  17. firm — a company
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. track — a song
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wind — moving air
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — for catching

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