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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a song
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bound — certain
  7. hand — in cards
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. track — a path
  10. pit — a hole
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. mate — a friend
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — shares
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. stock — goods
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bound — obliged
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hand — help
  23. pit — in a race
  24. fork — a garden tool

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