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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. face — to confront
  3. rule — government
  4. mine — for digging
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. rule — a law
  8. stock — shares
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. stock — goods
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. face — to point toward
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. face — part of the head
  19. tube — the underground
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. tube — a container
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. ruler — a monarch

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