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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: track · roll · spell · straw · fork · dip · file · ball

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a document
  4. track — to keep track
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. roll — a cake
  8. spell — magic
  9. roll — a list
  10. ball — a great time
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. track — a song
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. track — a path
  16. spell — letters
  17. file — a tool
  18. ball — a dance
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. spell — a short time

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