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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. net — in sport
  5. drill — the tool
  6. last — to go on
  7. drill — army training
  8. fork — in a road
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. last — finally
  12. net — for catching
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. rock — music
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rule — government
  19. last — final
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. net — after costs

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