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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 116 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: court · nail · lean · sharp · pitcher · object · rule · fork

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. lean — to bend
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. court — of law
  7. rule — a law
  8. object — an aim
  9. court — of a king
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. lean — thin
  12. object — to protest
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. sharp — clever
  17. fork — in a road
  18. object — a thing
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. court — for sport
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. sharp — with an edge
  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