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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: track · kid · suit · spell · saw · bay · fork · court

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. court — for sport
  3. track — a path
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. track — to keep track
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. court — of a king
  11. saw — the tool
  12. spell — a short time
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — clothes
  15. saw — the tool
  16. kid — to tease
  17. spell — letters
  18. track — a song
  19. spell — magic
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. court — of law
  22. kid — child
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. suit — in cards

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