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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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Word bank
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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: rock · staff · ruler · date · cold · fork · mine · club

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. staff — a stick
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. fork — in a road
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. staff — employees
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. club — for dancing
  13. date — the fruit
  14. club — a group
  15. staff — employees
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. mine — for digging
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. club — for golf
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. cold — not warm

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