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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. fall — to drop
  3. season — of the year
  4. track — a song
  5. rush — hurry
  6. fine — all right
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. fine — high quality
  12. pound — a weight
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. object — a thing
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. season — in sport
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fall — the season
  20. object — to protest
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. track — to keep track
  24. object — an aim

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