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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. rule — a law
  3. bass — the fish
  4. fork — in a road
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mug — a face
  8. mine — for digging
  9. staff — a stick
  10. rule — government
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — employees
  20. mug — to rob
  21. spring — of water
  22. spring — a coil
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bass — low music

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