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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. kick — in football
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bound — certain
  7. can — to be able to
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. net — in sport
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. chip — to eat
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bound — obliged
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. can — a tin
  21. net — for catching
  22. can — a tin
  23. net — after costs
  24. bound — tied together

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