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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: bowl · calf · jam · rule · chip · perch · cell · fork

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — government
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. perch — the fish
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cell — in biology
  11. fork — in a road
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. chip — to eat
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bowl — to roll

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