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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. kick — in football
  3. rule — a law
  4. hand — help
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. track — to keep track
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. rock — music
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. fork — in a road
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bulb — for light
  21. deal — to handle
  22. rule — government
  23. track — a song
  24. track — a path

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