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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 116 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  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. fork — a garden tool
  2. mark — a trace
  3. rule — government
  4. bass — the fish
  5. season — in sport
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — high quality
  9. swing — in golf
  10. fork — in a road
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. cap — of ice
  14. rule — a law
  15. swing — music
  16. bass — low music
  17. season — of the year
  18. cap — a hat
  19. swing — to play on
  20. cap — a lid
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. mark — a grade
  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