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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. track — a song
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. track — a path
  6. pass — a permit
  7. charge — a price
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — a trace
  12. object — a thing
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. charge — electricity
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. object — to protest
  17. charge — in control
  18. track — to keep track
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. fork — in a road
  24. straw — a straw man

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