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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. face — to confront
  3. land — ground
  4. land — a country
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. rule — government
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rule — a law
  9. fork — in a road
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. face — to point toward
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. track — a song
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. land — to come down
  22. track — a path
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. face — part of the head

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