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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 120 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: fork · cell · racket · rule · temple · plane · stick · pop

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. pop — music
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. fork — in a road
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cell — a phone
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rule — a law
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — a tool
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pop — soda
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. pop — to visit

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