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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. rock — a stone
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. track — a song
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fork — in a road
  18. court — of law
  19. court — for sport
  20. bass — low music
  21. rock — music
  22. court — of a king
  23. bass — the fish
  24. jam — in traffic

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