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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. rule — government
  6. cue — for pool
  7. fork — in a road
  8. cue — a hint
  9. content — happy
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. board — to get on
  12. cue — a signal
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. roll — a list
  15. track — to keep track
  16. rule — a law
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. track — a path
  20. wake — a trail
  21. board — a committee
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. roll — a cake
  24. content — the amount

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