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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: fork · key · chest · game · race · pit · rule · deal

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. fork — in a road
  3. pit — a hole
  4. key — in music
  5. race — a contest
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. race — humankind
  8. pit — in a race
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. rule — government
  11. game — wild animals
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. rule — a law
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. key — the most important part
  19. deal — to handle
  20. key — for a lock
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. race — the arms race
  24. chest — a box

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