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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: scale · object · date · staff · hand · track · capital · fork

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. object — to protest
  4. fork — in a road
  5. capital — money
  6. staff — a stick
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. staff — employees
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. capital — a city
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. staff — employees
  15. scale — size or range
  16. hand — in cards
  17. scale — in music
  18. hand — help
  19. object — an aim
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. object — a thing
  22. date — the fruit
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a song

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