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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  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. rule — government
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. can — a tin
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — in a road
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. rule — a law
  10. prune — to trim
  11. can — to be able to
  12. mark — a grade
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. current — of water
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. current — electric
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — a safe
  20. current — happening now
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. can — a tin
  23. mark — a trace
  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