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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: rule · fork · kid · chair · bank · land · vault · toast

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. fork — in a road
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. kid — to tease
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. land — a country
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. rule — government
  14. toast — bread
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. vault — a safe
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bank — of a river
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. rule — a law

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