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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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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 · calf · board · land · rule · present · roll · suit

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. suit — clothes
  3. present — there
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. land — a country
  6. rule — a law
  7. present — a gift
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. present — the time now
  11. suit — to fit
  12. rule — government
  13. board — to get on
  14. roll — a cake
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. land — to come down
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. roll — a list
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. land — ground
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. suit — in cards
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — a garden tool

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