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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. ball — a great time
  3. suit — in cards
  4. clip — a video
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. track — a song
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. clip — for paper
  11. rule — government
  12. suit — clothes
  13. rule — a law
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. clip — to cut
  16. ball — a dance
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — decided
  20. suit — to fit
  21. fork — in a road
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. track — to keep track

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