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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: date · mark · net · coach · fork · row · wake · saw

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. fork — in a road
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. date — the fruit
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mark — a trace
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. row — to paddle
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — for catching
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. wake — a trail
  21. row — a line
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. net — in sport
  24. saw — the tool

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