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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: stick · ball · wave · track · swing · fork · bore · land

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bore — to drill
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. ball — a great time
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. swing — music
  8. land — ground
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. track — a path
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — in golf
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. fork — in a road
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. track — to keep track
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bore — to tire
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. track — a song
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. land — a country
  24. land — to come down

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