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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: cap · track · fork · present · stem · ball · mate · saw

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. stem — to come from
  5. ball — a great time
  6. track — to keep track
  7. saw — the tool
  8. present — a gift
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. ball — a dance
  11. present — there
  12. present — the time now
  13. track — a path
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. mate — to breed
  16. cap — a lid
  17. track — a song
  18. fork — in a road
  19. mate — a friend
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cap — a hat
  23. mate — a partner
  24. fork — to eat with

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