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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 · mug · foot · file · perch · jam · fork · vault

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. mug — a face
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. file — a document
  7. foot — a measure
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. vault — a safe
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. mug — to rob
  13. perch — the fish
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. file — a line of people
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. rule — government
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. file — a tool
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. fork — in a road
  24. mug — a cup

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