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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  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. track — a path
  2. mug — a face
  3. rule — a law
  4. mug — a cup
  5. chest — a box
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. fork — in a road
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. chest — of your body
  10. court — of law
  11. can — a tin
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. court — of a king
  14. snap — to click
  15. court — for sport
  16. chest — of your body
  17. mug — to rob
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. can — to be able to
  20. track — a song
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. can — a tin
  23. track — to keep track
  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