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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. fork — in a road
  3. track — a song
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bound — tied together
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. root — of a word
  9. season — in sport
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. track — a path
  12. bound — certain
  13. season — of the year
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. root — of a plant
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. land — a country
  18. land — to come down
  19. root — the cause
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bound — obliged
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. land — ground
  24. ruler — for measuring

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