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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: pit · fork · object · cue · rule · calf

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. 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. rule — government
  2. cue — a signal
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. cue — for pool
  5. object — to protest
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. object — a thing
  9. rule — a law
  10. fork — in a road
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. object — an aim
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — in a race
  15. cue — a hint
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. 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