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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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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. rule — government
  6. suit — to fit
  7. rest — what's left
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. rest — a break
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. suit — clothes
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — an amount
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. rule — a law
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. fork — in a road
  24. pound — a weight

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