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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: object · track · pass · fork · sharp · pop · saw · bulb

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bulb — for light
  3. track — a song
  4. object — to protest
  5. pop — music
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. pop — to visit
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. pop — soda
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. object — a thing
  15. track — a path
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. track — to keep track
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — clever
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pass — a permit
  24. fork — in a road

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