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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: track · dip · march · kid · fork · chair · safe · drill

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. fork — in a road
  3. track — to keep track
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. track — a path
  7. chair — a leader
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. drill — army training
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. march — the month
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — the tool
  14. track — a song
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. kid — child
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. kid — to tease

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