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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: object · scale · capital · calf · fork · rule

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. scale — size or range
  4. object — an aim
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fork — in a road
  8. rule — a law
  9. capital — money
  10. capital — a city
  11. object — a thing
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. object — to protest
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. scale — in music

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