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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. fork — in a road
  3. game — wild animals
  4. hand — help
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. pop — soda
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. track — to keep track
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — a match
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. perch — the fish
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — music
  24. track — a path

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