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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. craft — boats
  3. staff — a stick
  4. craft — a skill
  5. cue — for pool
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cue — a signal
  8. fork — in a road
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rule — a law
  13. staff — employees
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. cue — a hint
  24. staff — employees

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