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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 116 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  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 — a path
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bear — the animal
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. fork — in a road
  12. mark — a grade
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. track — a song
  15. bear — the animal
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — in sport
  18. track — to keep track
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. coach — a trainer
  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