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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. track — a song
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bulb — for light
  5. suit — to fit
  6. fine — high quality
  7. last — to go on
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. tear — from crying
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. tear — from crying
  12. capital — a city
  13. track — a path
  14. tear — to rip
  15. capital — money
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bulb — for light
  18. suit — clothes
  19. last — final
  20. fine — all right
  21. suit — in cards
  22. track — to keep track
  23. last — finally
  24. bulb — of a plant

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