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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. track — a song
  3. track — a path
  4. track — to keep track
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. fine — all right
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bear — the animal
  11. land — ground
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. fine — high quality
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. land — a country
  24. fork — to eat with

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