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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: rule · foot · last · fork · chip · march · snap · mug

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. mug — a face
  4. march — the month
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. chip — for betting
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. fork — in a road
  9. last — finally
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. mug — to rob
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. rule — government
  18. snap — to click
  19. chip — to eat
  20. last — to go on
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. last — final
  23. foot — a measure
  24. mug — a cup

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