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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: fork · bank · jam · present · rule · spell · bat · deal

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. rule — a law
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. present — the time now
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. spell — magic
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. spell — letters
  14. bank — for money
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. bat — the animal
  17. spell — a short time
  18. present — there
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. deal — to handle
  21. fork — in a road
  22. rule — government
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. present — a gift

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