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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. drill — the tool
  4. net — in sport
  5. drill — army training
  6. fork — in a road
  7. stand — to bear
  8. track — to keep track
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. track — a path
  13. net — for catching
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — to protest
  16. face — part of the head
  17. drill — a practice
  18. object — an aim
  19. net — after costs
  20. face — to confront
  21. prune — to trim
  22. face — to point toward
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. track — a song

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