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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. last — to go on
  3. fork — in a road
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. object — an aim
  6. track — a song
  7. last — finally
  8. suit — in cards
  9. rule — government
  10. last — final
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. suit — clothes
  13. object — to protest
  14. net — in sport
  15. track — a path
  16. net — for catching
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. track — to keep track
  19. object — a thing
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. suit — to fit
  24. rule — a law

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