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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 120 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. pass — a permit
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. rule — a law
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. track — a song
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. fork — in a road
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. face — part of the head
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — in a race
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. rule — government
  19. track — a path
  20. track — to keep track
  21. face — to point toward
  22. pound — a weight
  23. face — to confront
  24. pass — to succeed

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