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

Word bank: fork · temple · club · rule · safe · mate · wake · net

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. wake — a trail
  4. mate — to breed
  5. net — after costs
  6. mate — a friend
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. net — for catching
  9. fork — in a road
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. club — for dancing
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. club — a group
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mate — a partner
  19. rule — government
  20. net — in sport
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. rule — a law
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. temple — a place of worship

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