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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 124 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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. suit — clothes
  3. rule — government
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bark — to shout
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. vault — a safe
  20. sharp — clever
  21. fork — in a road
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. stock — shares

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