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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
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: roll · bear · fork · field · mate · coach · bat · track

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. fork — in a road
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mate — a friend
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. mate — to breed
  9. field — for sport
  10. bat — the animal
  11. roll — a list
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. field — a subject
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. roll — a cake
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a song
  22. field — farmland
  23. track — a path
  24. coach — a trainer

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