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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. fork — in a road
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. wound — an injury
  13. can — a tin
  14. rule — a law
  15. pop — soda
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pop — to visit
  18. can — to be able to
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pop — music
  22. rule — government
  23. can — a tin
  24. rush — a thrill

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