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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 120 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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  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. tube — the underground
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. craft — a skill
  5. track — a path
  6. fork — in a road
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. craft — boats
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. wake — a trail
  13. track — to keep track
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. last — finally
  16. last — final
  17. bound — obliged
  18. stock — goods
  19. bound — tied together
  20. stock — shares
  21. tube — a container
  22. last — to go on
  23. bound — certain
  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