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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. wake — a trail
  3. land — a country
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — crushed
  9. date — the fruit
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a hat
  12. track — a path
  13. land — ground
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. track — a song
  17. land — to come down
  18. ground — a position
  19. cap — a lid
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. track — to keep track
  24. fork — a garden tool

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