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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. track — a song
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. board — to get on
  6. track — to keep track
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. season — of the year
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — a thing
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — in a road
  15. perch — the fish
  16. land — a country
  17. track — a path
  18. board — a committee
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. season — in sport
  24. land — ground

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