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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. track — a path
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. current — of water
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. track — to keep track
  10. squash — the sport
  11. current — electric
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. current — happening now
  15. season — in sport
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. season — of the year
  19. toast — bread
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. track — a song
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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