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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 120 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: fork · fan · bark · pass · kid · track · object · coach

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. track — a path
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. pass — a permit
  6. object — an aim
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — to tease
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. track — a song
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. object — to protest
  16. kid — child
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bark — to shout
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. track — to keep track
  24. object — a thing

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