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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: rash · dip · wake · pound · fork · rule · saw · roll

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. rule — a law
  3. pound — a weight
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. roll — a cake
  6. rule — government
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. rash — a series
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rash — hasty
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — to sink
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. rash — on the skin

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