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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. rule — a law
  3. object — to protest
  4. club — for dancing
  5. net — in sport
  6. bank — for money
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. club — for golf
  9. last — to go on
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. rule — government
  13. club — a group
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. object — an aim
  17. bank — of a river
  18. net — after costs
  19. last — final
  20. bank — for money
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. net — for catching
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. object — a thing

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