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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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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: mark · fork · bound · clip · swing · hand · rule · firm

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. rule — government
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. mark — a grade
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — in cards
  7. rule — a law
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bound — tied together
  10. swing — music
  11. fork — in a road
  12. mark — a trace
  13. swing — in golf
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. clip — for paper
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bound — certain
  18. swing — to play on
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — steady
  22. hand — help
  23. bound — obliged
  24. rule — to rule out

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