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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 chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. rule — government
  3. current — happening now
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bear — the animal
  9. current — electric
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rule — a law
  15. current — of water
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mug — a face
  20. fork — in a road
  21. mug — to rob
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. fork — to eat with

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