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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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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: pit · band · wave · stand · bay · track · season · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. season — in sport
  4. track — a song
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. pit — a hole
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. fork — in a road
  10. track — a path
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. track — to keep track
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. season — of the year
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a ring
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. band — a music group

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