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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: fork · land · ruler · cue · pit · sharp · face · leaves

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. land — ground
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. land — to come down
  6. cue — a signal
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. cue — a hint
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. face — part of the head
  18. pit — in a race
  19. sharp — clever
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — to point toward
  22. land — a country
  23. pit — a hole
  24. fork — in a road

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