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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. track — a song
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. object — an aim
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. track — a path
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. object — a thing
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. club — for golf
  16. object — to protest
  17. club — for dancing
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. net — for catching
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. track — to keep track
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — after costs
  24. pass — a permit

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