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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: wind · spring · rest · kick · mouse · fork · rule · pitch

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pitch — completely
  3. fork — in a road
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. spring — of water
  7. rest — what's left
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rule — a law
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. kick — in football
  14. spring — a coil
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. wind — moving air
  17. rest — what's left
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. spring — the season
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. wind — moving air
  23. rest — a break
  24. rule — government

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