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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 · stem · row · fork · chip · ball · present · racket

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. row — a line
  3. ball — a dance
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. present — a gift
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. fork — in a road
  13. row — to paddle
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. present — the time now
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. present — there
  23. ball — a great time
  24. track — a song

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