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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: rock · fork · bound · cell · key · rule · wake · degree

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bound — obliged
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — from a university
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bound — tied together
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. rule — a law
  13. cell — in biology
  14. degree — an amount
  15. cell — a phone
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. rule — government
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bound — certain
  20. rock — music
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. wake — a trail
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — a stone

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