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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. game — a match
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cue — a hint
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. rule — government
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. fork — in a road
  14. cue — for pool
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. mate — a partner
  17. game — wild animals
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. cue — a signal
  21. mate — a friend
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rule — a law
  24. mate — to breed

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