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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fork · staff · plane · can · court · content · land · rule

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rule — a law
  3. content — the amount
  4. fork — in a road
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. rule — government
  7. court — of a king
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. land — a country
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. plane — a tool
  13. staff — employees
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. court — of law
  16. land — to come down
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. court — for sport
  20. can — to be able to
  21. content — happy
  22. land — ground
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. staff — a stick

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