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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. file — a tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. mark — a grade
  10. key — for a lock
  11. file — a document
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. mate — a friend
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. key — in music
  17. track — a path
  18. stem — to come from
  19. track — to keep track
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. mate — a partner
  22. key — the most important part
  23. mate — to breed
  24. file — a line of people

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