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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. rush — hurry
  5. track — a song
  6. drill — army training
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. cue — a signal
  9. snap — to click
  10. bank — for money
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bank — for money
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. cue — a hint
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ground — a position
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bank — of a river
  24. ground — crushed

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