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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. stand — to bear
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mate — to breed
  7. track — to keep track
  8. spring — a coil
  9. fork — in a road
  10. mate — a partner
  11. object — a thing
  12. current — happening now
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. track — a path
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. current — electric
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. spring — of water
  19. object — an aim
  20. object — to protest
  21. current — of water
  22. track — a song
  23. mark — a trace
  24. stand — on your feet

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