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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: fork · swing · pitcher · kid · sharp · bay · track · jam

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a song
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. kid — to tease
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. track — a path
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. swing — music
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. kid — child
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. swing — in golf

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