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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mine · pass · content · plane · file · can · fork · track

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  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 — to eat with
  2. can — a tin
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. content — happy
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. pass — a permit
  7. plane — a tool
  8. file — a tool
  9. content — the amount
  10. track — to keep track
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. can — a tin
  13. mine — for digging
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. file — a line of people
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. track — a path
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. can — to be able to
  20. file — a document
  21. fork — in a road
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. content — videos and posts
  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