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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. pound — a weight
  4. cue — a signal
  5. land — to come down
  6. season — of the year
  7. rule — government
  8. snap — to click
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. season — in sport
  11. wax — to grow
  12. rule — a law
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. cue — a hint
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. land — a country
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. cue — for pool
  23. land — ground
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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