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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: stick · jam · march · rush · ruler · fork · net · cap

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. net — after costs
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. fork — in a road
  6. cap — of ice
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. march — the month
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. net — in sport
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. cap — a hat
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. net — for catching
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. rush — hurry
  19. march — music
  20. cap — a lid
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. march — the month
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. ruler — a monarch

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