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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
468
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: season · rule · object · club · mine · craft · fork · bore

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — government
  3. club — for dancing
  4. season — in sport
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. season — of the year
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. object — an aim
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. mine — for digging
  11. club — for golf
  12. object — a thing
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — a skill
  16. club — a group
  17. bore — to tire
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. craft — boats
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. fork — in a road
  24. object — to protest

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