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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: fork · wave · court · calf · dip · bear · bat · rule

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rule — government
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — for sport
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. court — of law
  11. rule — a law
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. wave — with your hand

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