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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. fork — in a road
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. track — a path
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. track — a song
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. current — of water
  13. wax — to grow
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. bark — to shout
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — electric
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — in the ear

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