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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: land · tear · rash · bulb · track · fork · pit · present

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. tear — to rip
  3. present — there
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. tear — from crying
  12. track — to keep track
  13. pit — in a race
  14. track — a song
  15. tear — from crying
  16. present — the time now
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pit — a hole
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — ground
  21. rash — a series
  22. present — a gift
  23. land — a country
  24. rash — hasty

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