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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: fork · track · roll · cue · season · cabinet · scale · kid

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. fork — in a road
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. kid — to tease
  5. cue — for pool
  6. track — to keep track
  7. roll — a list
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. season — in sport
  10. track — a song
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. cue — a signal
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. cue — a hint
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. kid — child
  20. season — of the year
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — in music
  23. roll — a cake
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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