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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. season — in sport
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. mug — to rob
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. foot — a measure
  8. drill — a practice
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. mug — a face
  11. track — to keep track
  12. fork — in a road
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. track — a song
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. mug — a cup
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. season — of the year
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — for betting

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