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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. lie — to recline
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. can — a tin
  5. game — wild animals
  6. key — for a lock
  7. foot — a measure
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. pop — soda
  11. game — a match
  12. can — a tin
  13. key — in music
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. pop — to visit
  16. can — to be able to
  17. pop — music
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — a law
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. key — the most important part
  24. game — a kind of play

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