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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · game · bowl · lean · row · fine · fork · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. row — a line
  3. fine — high quality
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. track — a song
  6. fine — all right
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. lean — to bend
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. game — a match
  19. fork — in a road
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. lean — thin
  23. track — a path
  24. hide — to keep secret

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