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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — a law
  3. present — a gift
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. present — the time now
  7. bound — obliged
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. squash — to crush
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bound — tied together
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. squash — the sport
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bound — certain
  21. fork — in a road
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. present — there
  24. pitcher — a jug

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