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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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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: net · firm · rule · bore · straw · dip · season · fork

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — steady
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. season — in sport
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. rule — a law
  9. net — for catching
  10. firm — a company
  11. fork — in a road
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. dip — to sink
  14. bore — to drill
  15. season — of the year
  16. net — in sport
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. rule — government
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. net — after costs
  21. bore — to tire
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. dip — a sauce

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