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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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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: mark · pit · fork · file · track · calf · swing · patient

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. fork — in a road
  3. file — a tool
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. track — a song
  7. file — a line of people
  8. mark — a trace
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — in golf
  11. file — a document
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. pit — a hole
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mark — a grade
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. track — to keep track
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. pit — in a race
  24. track — a path

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