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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rule · fork · ball · track · clip · firm · press · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. clip — a video
  4. firm — decided
  5. clip — for paper
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. rule — government
  8. track — to keep track
  9. rule — a law
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. track — a song
  13. firm — a company
  14. press — to push
  15. fork — in a road
  16. firm — steady
  17. clip — to cut
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a dance
  20. track — a path
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — a publisher
  24. nail — for a hammer

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