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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: kid · rule · fork · jam · coach · kick

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kick — in football
  6. rule — a law
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. kid — child
  18. rule — government

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