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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. firm — steady
  3. march — music
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. fork — in a road
  9. rule — government
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rock — a stone
  12. march — the month
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rock — music
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. march — the month
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — decided
  20. rule — a law
  21. rush — hurry
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

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