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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. capital — money
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. object — an aim
  5. land — a country
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. pass — a permit
  8. land — to come down
  9. object — a thing
  10. track — a path
  11. object — to protest
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. capital — a city
  15. track — to keep track
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. fork — in a road
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. land — ground
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. leaves — to go away

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