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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. board — a committee
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. rule — a law
  6. rule — government
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. squash — to crush
  9. game — a match
  10. land — to come down
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — in a road
  16. squash — the sport
  17. land — ground
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. board — to get on
  20. land — a country
  21. pit — in a race
  22. game — wild animals
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — a hole

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