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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: ruler · jam · bound · spell · fork · chip · bat · can

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. can — a tin
  5. bound — certain
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. spell — a short time
  8. fork — in a road
  9. spell — magic
  10. bound — tied together
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. can — a tin
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. can — to be able to
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. spell — letters
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bound — obliged
  24. ruler — for measuring

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