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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: board · temple · spring · sharp · spell · file · track · fork

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. file — a tool
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. track — a song
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — magic
  11. file — a document
  12. spring — a coil
  13. file — a line of people
  14. fork — in a road
  15. board — a committee
  16. track — to keep track
  17. spring — of water
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. spell — a short time
  20. board — to get on
  21. sharp — clever
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. spring — the season

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