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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: fine · wound · fork · cap · cue · pitcher · pit · rule

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cap — of ice
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cue — a hint
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fine — all right
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rule — government
  13. fine — high quality
  14. cue — a signal
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pit — a hole
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rule — a law
  20. cap — a hat
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. cue — for pool

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