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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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · pit · rest · plane · fork · rule

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — in a road
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. rest — a break
  8. pit — a hole
  9. rule — government
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. rest — what's left
  12. deal — to handle
  13. rule — a law
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pit — in a race
  17. plane — a tool
  18. rule — to rule out

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