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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: season · rock · suit · rush · roll · last · track · fork

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — clothes
  4. roll — a list
  5. last — to go on
  6. track — a path
  7. roll — a cake
  8. track — to keep track
  9. season — of the year
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. suit — to fit
  16. last — final
  17. rush — hurry
  18. last — finally
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. fork — in a road
  21. rock — music
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. track — a song
  24. season — in sport

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