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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: racket · firm · present · date · spring · fork · track · season

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. spring — a coil
  3. firm — steady
  4. spring — of water
  5. fork — in a road
  6. season — in sport
  7. present — there
  8. track — to keep track
  9. spring — the season
  10. season — of the year
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. firm — a company
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. present — a gift
  18. firm — decided
  19. date — the fruit
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. track — a song
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. present — the time now

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