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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: roll · rule · fork · game · sharp · pit · track · calf

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — in a race
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. track — a path
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. game — a match
  13. roll — a cake
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. rule — a law
  17. roll — a list
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rule — government
  20. game — wild animals
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. sharp — clever
  24. track — a song

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