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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: pitch · bound · object · fork · wound · spring · track · net

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. spring — the season
  4. track — a path
  5. object — a thing
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. bound — tied together
  9. pitch — completely
  10. track — a song
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. spring — of water
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. net — after costs
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. object — to protest
  18. fork — in a road
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bound — certain
  21. object — an aim
  22. track — to keep track
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bound — obliged

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