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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. fork — in a road
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. rule — a law
  15. scale — in music
  16. craft — a skill
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. craft — boats
  21. scale — size or range
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. mine — for digging

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