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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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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: rule · mark · fork · press · lie · saw · mate · pit

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. rule — government
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — in a race
  5. press — newspapers
  6. pit — a hole
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. fork — in a road
  9. press — to push
  10. mate — a partner
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. rule — a law
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. press — a publisher
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mate — to breed
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mate — a friend

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