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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. scale — in music
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — for catching
  9. fork — in a road
  10. pitch — completely
  11. rule — government
  12. toast — bread
  13. scale — size or range
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. net — after costs
  18. race — the arms race
  19. race — humankind
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. rule — a law
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. race — a contest
  24. jam — a tight spot

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