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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. spell — letters
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. drill — the tool
  5. net — after costs
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cue — for pool
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — a practice
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. cue — a hint
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. net — in sport
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bound — obliged
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. spell — a short time
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bound — certain
  20. cue — a signal
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bound — tied together
  23. spell — magic
  24. net — for catching

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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