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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 116 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: rash · vault · kick · file · chip · rule · fork · board

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. fork — in a road
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. rule — government
  8. file — a tool
  9. board — a committee
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. chip — for betting
  13. rule — a law
  14. rash — a series
  15. board — to get on
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. file — a line of people
  18. rash — hasty
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. file — a document
  23. vault — a safe
  24. chip — to eat

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