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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — in a road
  3. perch — the fish
  4. track — a song
  5. file — a line of people
  6. track — a path
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. cue — a signal
  9. rock — music
  10. cold — an illness
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cold — not warm
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. cue — a hint
  16. rock — a stone
  17. cue — for pool
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. file — a document
  24. file — a tool

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