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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 116 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: club · chair · rule · kick · track · stem · fork · key

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. chair — a leader
  3. rule — a law
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. key — in music
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. fork — in a road
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. club — for golf
  12. stem — to come from
  13. rule — government
  14. kick — in football
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. track — a path
  17. key — the most important part
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. club — for dancing
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. key — for a lock
  22. club — a group
  23. track — a song
  24. chair — to sit on

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