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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 120 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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. track — a path
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. spring — of water
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. kick — in football
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — music
  15. chair — a leader
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. pop — to visit
  19. spring — the season
  20. fork — in a road
  21. track — to keep track
  22. march — the month
  23. spring — a coil
  24. track — a song

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