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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. mate — to breed
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. rule — government
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. race — humankind
  8. date — the fruit
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — boats
  12. race — a contest
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. rule — a law
  15. mate — a friend
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mate — a partner
  18. race — the arms race
  19. fork — in a road
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pitch — completely
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. fork — to eat with

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