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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. ground — crushed
  6. can — to be able to
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. ground — a position
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. can — a tin
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bass — the fish
  15. track — a song
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — low music
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. chair — a leader
  20. perch — the fish
  21. ground — the earth
  22. track — a path
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. can — a tin

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