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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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Word bank
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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: staff · cabinet · rule · race · rash · fork

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. rule — a law
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. rash — hasty
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — humankind
  9. staff — employees
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. rash — a series
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. staff — a stick
  15. rule — government
  16. staff — employees
  17. race — a contest
  18. cabinet — ministers

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