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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. pit — in a race
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — to play on
  7. fork — in a road
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bank — for money
  10. rule — a law
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — a hole
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. rule — government
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bank — for money
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bank — of a river

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