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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. rule — government
  8. board — a committee
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. board — to get on
  14. ball — a dance
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rule — a law
  19. prune — to trim
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a great time
  22. fork — in a road
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. board — a flat piece

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