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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 116 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. present — the time now
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. track — to keep track
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. track — a song
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. track — a path
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — in a road
  14. present — a gift
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. present — there
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. stem — to come from

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