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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 120 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: cell · rule · calf · plane · pitch · fork

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. cell — a phone
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pitch — completely
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. cell — in biology
  14. fork — in a road
  15. plane — a tool
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. rule — a law

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