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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rule — government
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. squash — the sport
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — a law
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. fine — all right
  12. deal — to handle
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bound — certain
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. fork — in a road
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bound — tied together
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — to crush
  24. fine — high quality

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