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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fine — all right
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. drill — army training
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — shares
  15. track — a path
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. drill — the tool
  18. track — to keep track
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. drill — a practice
  21. fine — high quality
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. track — a song

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