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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. fork — in a road
  3. band — a music group
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. track — a path
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. degree — from a university
  9. track — a song
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. stand — to bear
  13. band — a ring
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. degree — an amount
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. degree — temperature
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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