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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. deal — to handle
  3. fork — in a road
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. fall — to drop
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. branch — a division
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fall — the season
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — an aim
  12. cap — a hat
  13. track — a path
  14. last — final
  15. cap — of ice
  16. fall — to drop
  17. last — finally
  18. last — to go on
  19. cap — a lid
  20. object — to protest
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. track — a song
  24. deal — a big deal

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