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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 · fan · march · dip · chip · fork · cue · wave

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. march — music
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. dip — to sink
  6. march — the month
  7. chip — for betting
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. cue — a signal
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. march — the month
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. cue — a hint
  18. track — a song
  19. cue — for pool
  20. track — a path
  21. track — to keep track
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. fork — in a road

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