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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: bear · track · deal · foot · pit · bore · fork · lash

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — a song
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. foot — a measure
  12. track — to keep track
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pit — a hole
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. fork — in a road
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bore — to drill
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bore — to tire
  23. deal — to handle
  24. foot — part of the body

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