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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 120 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
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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: spell · fine · squash · pop · arm · saw · fork · track

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. track — a song
  3. track — a path
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. spell — letters
  8. track — to keep track
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — all right
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. spell — magic
  13. saw — the tool
  14. spell — a short time
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — soda
  17. fork — in a road
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. fine — high quality
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — to crush
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. pop — to visit
  24. arm — 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