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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — a path
  3. toast — bread
  4. spell — a short time
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. ball — a great time
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. spell — letters
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wake — a trail
  11. face — to confront
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. ball — a dance
  14. fork — in a road
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to point toward
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. spell — magic
  23. track — to keep track
  24. ball — a round shape

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