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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. can — a tin
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. track — a song
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. saw — the tool
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. rock — music
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. date — the fruit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. fork — in a road
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. rock — a stone
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. track — a path
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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