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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bore — to tire
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. capital — a city
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. present — the time now
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — of law
  13. capital — money
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bore — to drill
  16. rule — government
  17. present — there
  18. rule — a law
  19. present — a gift
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. rush — hurry
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — a safe
  24. rush — to hurry

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