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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: fork · ball · rule · club · bay · rest · board · tear

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. fork — in a road
  4. ball — a dance
  5. rest — what's left
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. board — to get on
  9. tear — from crying
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — a committee
  12. ball — a great time
  13. club — for golf
  14. rule — a law
  15. rest — what's left
  16. club — for dancing
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. rest — a break
  22. club — a group
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. rule — to rule out

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