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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. wound — an injury
  4. game — a match
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. suit — clothes
  7. pit — in a race
  8. fork — in a road
  9. rash — a series
  10. cell — in biology
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — a permit
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. suit — to fit
  18. game — wild animals
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rash — hasty
  21. cell — a phone
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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