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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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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: content · track · club · leaves · mine · plane · fork · sharp

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. club — for dancing
  3. plane — a tool
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. club — for golf
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. club — a group
  9. track — a path
  10. fork — in a road
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. content — happy
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. track — a song
  17. content — the amount
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. track — to keep track
  24. sharp — clever

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