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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 116 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: mug · wave · mine · content · fork · kid · can · track

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  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. wave — with your hand
  2. mine — for digging
  3. track — to keep track
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. can — a tin
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. track — a path
  9. kid — to tease
  10. track — a song
  11. can — a tin
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mug — a cup
  14. content — the amount
  15. can — to be able to
  16. mug — a face
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. content — happy
  19. kid — child
  20. mug — to rob
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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