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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. object — a thing
  3. fork — in a road
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. object — to protest
  6. pop — to visit
  7. wake — a trail
  8. sharp — clever
  9. object — an aim
  10. land — ground
  11. staff — employees
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. land — to come down
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. pop — music
  16. rest — a break
  17. land — a country
  18. pop — soda
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. staff — employees
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. staff — a stick
  23. rest — what's left
  24. wake — before a funeral

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