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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: track · mouse · ground · fan · arm · fork

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fork — in a road
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. track — a path
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. ground — crushed
  14. track — a song
  15. track — to keep track
  16. ground — a position
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. ground — the earth

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