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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. rule — a law
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. land — a country
  5. land — to come down
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. band — a music group
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. land — ground
  16. mug — a face
  17. rule — government
  18. mug — to rob
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. chair — a leader
  21. band — a ring
  22. mug — a cup
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. fork — in a road

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