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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. mark — a trace
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fork — in a road
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rest — a break
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — crushed
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rule — a law
  19. mark — a grade
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rule — government
  24. fan — to cool the air

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