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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: rule · field · fork · cue · bound · perch · ball · straw

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. field — a subject
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cue — for pool
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. field — farmland
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bound — certain
  14. fork — in a road
  15. cue — a signal
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — government
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. ball — a great time
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bound — obliged
  23. field — for sport
  24. ball — a dance

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