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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 120 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: rest · track · fork · spell · coach · rush · mark · deal

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. spell — magic
  4. track — a song
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. spell — a short time
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rest — what's left
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rest — a break
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. fork — in a road
  14. rush — hurry
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. track — a path
  20. track — to keep track
  21. deal — to handle
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mark — a grade
  24. spell — letters

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