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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. rule — a law
  3. fork — in a road
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — hurry
  6. kick — in football
  7. row — to paddle
  8. club — a group
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a music group
  14. craft — a skill
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. craft — boats
  18. row — a line
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. band — a ring
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. rule — government
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — for golf

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