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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 120 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 ________________ went through the wall.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. rule — government
  5. fork — in a road
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. race — the arms race
  8. cap — a lid
  9. mug — a face
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. rule — a law
  14. land — a country
  15. race — a contest
  16. scale — size or range
  17. land — to come down
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. race — humankind
  20. land — ground
  21. mug — to rob
  22. cap — of ice
  23. mug — a cup
  24. cap — a hat

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