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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: mate · fork · wave · march · rule · fan · bowl · perch

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. march — music
  10. mate — a partner
  11. march — the month
  12. rule — a law
  13. perch — the fish
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. march — the month
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. mate — to breed
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. mate — a friend
  24. fan — a supporter

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