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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: can · band · fork · rule · chip · perch · deal · leaves

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. chip — for betting
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. rule — a law
  13. chip — to eat
  14. can — a tin
  15. perch — the fish
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. can — to be able to
  19. band — a ring
  20. rule — government
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. can — a tin

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