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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  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. fork — to eat with
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. rule — a law
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. land — ground
  9. ball — a dance
  10. rock — a stone
  11. land — a country
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. ball — a great time
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. rock — music
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. land — to come down
  19. fork — in a road
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. arm — part of the body
  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