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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 120 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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. pop — soda
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. saw — the tool
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pop — to visit
  11. rash — a series
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rule — a law
  16. pop — music
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. branch — a division
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rule — government
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. fork — a garden tool

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