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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: track · bound · bore · file · rock · safe · march · fork

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  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. rock — music
  2. track — to keep track
  3. march — music
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bore — to drill
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — a stone
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. march — the month
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. track — a song
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. file — a document
  19. march — the month
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bore — to tire
  23. fork — to eat with
  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