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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: plane · sharp · bear · mate · track · bat · fork · jam

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. mate — a partner
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. fork — in a road
  9. track — a song
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. track — a path
  14. mate — to breed
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bat — the animal
  18. mate — a friend
  19. sharp — clever
  20. plane — a tool
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bear — the animal

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