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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 116 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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. net — in sport
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. net — after costs
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. march — the month
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — in a road
  10. march — music
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. suit — in cards
  14. rule — government
  15. last — final
  16. fine — all right
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. net — for catching
  19. suit — to fit
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — finally
  22. fine — high quality
  23. rule — a law
  24. march — the month

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