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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 124 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. game — a match
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. rule — government
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. toast — bread
  9. rule — a law
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. game — wild animals
  17. fork — in a road
  18. pound — a weight
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bat — the animal
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. hide — to keep secret

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