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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: fork · scale · tube · rule · dip · key · rush · squash

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. key — for a lock
  4. rush — hurry
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — to crush
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rule — government
  12. dip — to sink
  13. fork — in a road
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — in music
  16. scale — in music
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — a container
  24. scale — size or range

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