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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: last · deal · fork · foot · roll · rock · rule · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. rule — government
  3. rock — a stone
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. roll — a list
  7. foot — a measure
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. last — to go on
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. last — final
  12. rock — music
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. last — finally
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. roll — a cake
  17. deal — to handle
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rule — a law
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. fork — in a road
  24. bear — the animal

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