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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.

Make a worksheet

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: ground · date · track · dip · racket · spell · chair · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. spell — magic
  3. track — a song
  4. track — a path
  5. ground — crushed
  6. date — the fruit
  7. ground — a position
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. ground — the earth
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. track — to keep track
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — a short time
  19. fork — in a road
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. chair — a leader
  24. racket — a loud noise

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