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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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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: jam · fork · leaves · ground · cap · object · rule · temple

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. cap — a hat
  4. object — a thing
  5. cap — of ice
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — a law
  8. ground — a position
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. object — an aim
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. fork — in a road
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — the earth
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. cap — a lid
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rule — government
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — lets stay

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