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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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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: track · fork · rock · present · chest · straw · bear · object

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. fork — in a road
  3. track — a path
  4. object — a thing
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. rock — music
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. track — a song
  11. object — an aim
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. present — the time now
  15. rock — a stone
  16. present — a gift
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bear — the animal
  22. object — to protest
  23. chest — a box
  24. bear — the animal

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