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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 116 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. rule — government
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. pass — a permit
  7. march — music
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. fork — in a road
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. deal — to handle
  17. sharp — clever
  18. rule — a law
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. march — the month
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. march — the month
  24. rule — to rule out

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