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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. net — in sport
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. rule — government
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. net — after costs
  8. charge — a price
  9. march — the month
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. track — to keep track
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. track — a path
  15. charge — electricity
  16. march — the month
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — in a road
  19. net — for catching
  20. march — music
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. charge — in control
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — a law

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