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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: current · rule · fork · racket · stick · perch · tube · chair

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. rule — a law
  4. current — happening now
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. current — electric
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rule — government
  10. perch — the fish
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — the underground
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. chair — a leader
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. current — of water
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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