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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: bowl · wave · present · fine · track · race · fork · cold

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fork — in a road
  3. cold — an illness
  4. race — the arms race
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. race — humankind
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. present — there
  11. cold — not warm
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. track — to keep track
  15. present — the time now
  16. race — a contest
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. track — a path
  19. fine — all right
  20. track — a song
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. present — a gift

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