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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. rule — government
  4. fork — in a road
  5. mine — for digging
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. rule — a law
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. stock — goods
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. toast — bread
  17. net — for catching
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — in sport

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