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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. mate — a partner
  3. rule — a law
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — obliged
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. game — a match
  10. mate — a friend
  11. foot — a measure
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bound — certain
  15. game — wild animals
  16. mate — to breed
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — government
  24. deal — an agreement

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