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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: chip · wind · bay · ruler · roll · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. roll — a cake
  8. fork — in a road
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. chip — to eat
  13. roll — a list
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. wind — moving air
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bay — a horse colour

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