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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 116 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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. plane — a tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rash — a series
  9. chair — a leader
  10. rash — hasty
  11. prune — to trim
  12. band — a ring
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. track — a path
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. prune — to trim
  19. board — a committee
  20. band — a music group
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. board — to get on
  24. band — a rubber band

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