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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. mark — a trace
  4. wound — an injury
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. suit — clothes
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. ground — a position
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. ground — the earth
  13. rule — a law
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mark — a grade
  16. ground — crushed
  17. suit — in cards
  18. fork — in a road
  19. suit — to fit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rule — government
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. vault — a safe

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