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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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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: wound · fan · present · track · bass · staff · fork · mug

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bass — the fish
  3. mug — a face
  4. track — a song
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. wound — an injury
  8. present — the time now
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. track — a path
  13. track — to keep track
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. present — there
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bass — low music
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mug — to rob
  22. wound — an injury
  23. present — a gift
  24. fork — in a road

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