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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fork — in a road
  6. wound — an injury
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. rule — a law
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. wound — an injury
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. rule — government
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. mine — for digging

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