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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.

Make a worksheet

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: dip · file · track · fan · fork · drill · pit · chair

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. chair — a leader
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. drill — army training
  6. fork — in a road
  7. dip — to sink
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a tool
  10. track — a song
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. drill — a practice
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. track — a path
  19. track — to keep track
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. pit — in a race
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. file — a line of people

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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