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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. land — a country
  3. date — the fruit
  4. wax — to grow
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. track — a song
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. pitch — completely
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bank — for money
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bank — of a river
  13. track — a path
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. land — to come down
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. land — ground
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bank — for money

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