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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. fork — in a road
  3. firm — decided
  4. clip — a video
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rule — government
  9. clip — for paper
  10. can — a tin
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — the underground
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. firm — a company
  17. board — a committee
  18. tube — a container
  19. can — to be able to
  20. firm — steady
  21. can — a tin
  22. board — to get on
  23. clip — to cut
  24. rule — to rule out

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