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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 124 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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. cue — for pool
  5. ground — a position
  6. mate — a partner
  7. can — to be able to
  8. cue — a signal
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mate — a friend
  11. cue — a hint
  12. craft — a skill
  13. mate — to breed
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — crushed
  18. can — a tin
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. rule — a law
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — boats
  23. can — a tin
  24. rule — government

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