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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. club — for golf
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. rule — government
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bound — obliged
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bound — certain
  13. bore — to drill
  14. club — for dancing
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bound — tied together
  19. can — a tin
  20. club — a group
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. fork — in a road
  24. pitch — a sports field

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