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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: fork · cue · saw · rest · pass · track · wake · bear

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. track — a song
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. cue — for pool
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rest — a break
  13. cue — a signal
  14. track — a path
  15. fork — in a road
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. wake — a trail
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bear — to put up 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