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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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Word bank
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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: object · fork · court · bowl · tube · field · rash · rule

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. object — a thing
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. field — farmland
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. tube — the underground
  9. object — to protest
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. field — a subject
  12. court — of law
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — a series
  17. object — an aim
  18. rule — government
  19. field — for sport
  20. rule — a law
  21. fork — in a road
  22. tube — a container
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — for sport

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