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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  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. fork — in a road
  2. key — in music
  3. cold — an illness
  4. rule — a law
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bass — low music
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. rule — government
  22. cold — not warm
  23. hand — in cards
  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