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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 120 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: fork · chair · track · ball · fine · bulb · staff · pop

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  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. fork — to eat with
  2. staff — a stick
  3. track — to keep track
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. pop — to visit
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. chair — a leader
  8. staff — employees
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pop — music
  13. ball — a great time
  14. staff — employees
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. fine — all right
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. track — a song
  20. pop — soda
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. ball — a dance
  23. fine — a penalty
  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