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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: foot · fork · bat · bay · track · mouse · mine · sharp

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. track — a song
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bat — the animal
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. track — a path
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — clever
  17. foot — a measure
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bat — for baseball

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