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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. track — a path
  3. scale — in music
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a song
  7. stock — goods
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. scale — size or range
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. stock — shares
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bat — the animal
  23. fork — in a road
  24. kick — a thrill

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