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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: rule · track · jam · fork · craft · rest · snap · present

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. present — a gift
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. track — a song
  8. present — the time now
  9. fork — in a road
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. rule — a law
  12. craft — boats
  13. track — a path
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. rest — what's left
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. present — there
  19. track — to keep track
  20. rest — a break
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. rest — what's left
  23. craft — a skill
  24. snap — to click

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