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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 120 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. rule — government
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. net — after costs
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. net — for catching
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. band — a ring
  12. stand — to bear
  13. pitch — completely
  14. chip — for betting
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. band — a music group
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. rule — a law
  22. chip — to eat
  23. net — in sport
  24. rule — to rule out

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