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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 120 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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. net — for catching
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a song
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. net — after costs
  7. rash — hasty
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. net — in sport
  11. fork — in a road
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. charge — in control
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. sharp — clever
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rash — a series
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — a price

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