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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. club — for golf
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. march — the month
  10. track — to keep track
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. sharp — clever
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. dip — to sink
  17. track — a song
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for dancing
  21. track — a path
  22. march — the month
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. march — music

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