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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.

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: bark · track · fork · stand · last · wave · season · tube

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. season — of the year
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. stand — to bear
  9. track — a path
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. last — to go on
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. season — in sport
  16. last — final
  17. track — a song
  18. last — finally
  19. fork — in a road
  20. track — to keep track
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. stand — on your feet

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