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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: land · key · fork · pound · ruler · tear · nail · spell

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. fork — in a road
  4. spell — a short time
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. spell — magic
  7. key — in music
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pound — a weight
  10. tear — from crying
  11. spell — letters
  12. key — for a lock
  13. land — a country
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. land — ground
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. key — the most important part
  20. land — to come down
  21. tear — to rip
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. tear — from crying
  24. pound — to hit hard

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