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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: pop · fork · land · stand · ground · track · wave · perch

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. stand — to bear
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. pop — soda
  7. track — a path
  8. land — ground
  9. pop — music
  10. ground — the earth
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. land — a country
  14. track — a song
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. ground — a position
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. perch — the fish
  20. fork — in a road
  21. land — to come down
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. track — to keep track
  24. ground — crushed

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