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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: stick · deal · kid · rule · fork · pit · bowl · fan

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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. fork — a garden tool
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. pit — a hole
  13. kid — to tease
  14. rule — a law
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. kid — child
  21. rule — government
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fan — a supporter
  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