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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. last — to go on
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. last — final
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. club — for dancing
  7. fork — in a road
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. club — for golf
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. degree — an amount
  13. club — a group
  14. rest — what's left
  15. last — finally
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. degree — from a university
  20. band — a music group
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. degree — temperature
  24. fork — to eat with

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