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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. clip — for paper
  3. fine — high quality
  4. rest — a break
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. band — a music group
  7. rest — what's left
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. band — a ring
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rest — what's left
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. clip — a video
  20. clip — to cut
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fine — all right

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