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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. fork — in a road
  6. club — for golf
  7. scale — in music
  8. club — a group
  9. track — to keep track
  10. fall — to drop
  11. club — for dancing
  12. fall — to drop
  13. chair — a leader
  14. rock — a stone
  15. track — a path
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. fall — the season
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. track — a song
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. rock — music
  24. scale — size or range

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