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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. mark — a trace
  6. rest — a break
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — a law
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. fork — in a road
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a match
  17. mark — a grade
  18. rule — government

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