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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.

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: stick · track · land · fork · bore · net · cold · mug

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bore — to drill
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. mug — to rob
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bore — to tire
  10. mug — a cup
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. land — a country
  13. cold — an illness
  14. mug — a face
  15. track — a path
  16. land — to come down
  17. track — a song
  18. net — for catching
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. land — ground
  22. net — in sport
  23. cold — not warm
  24. fork — to eat with

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