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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: deal · fine · prune · rule · fork · pit · wake · face

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. fork — in a road
  3. face — part of the head
  4. fine — high quality
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. rule — a law
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. rule — government
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. face — to point toward
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. prune — to trim
  15. deal — to handle
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fine — all right
  20. wake — a trail
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. pit — a hole

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