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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 116 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: fork · game · kick · bound · last · rule · ball · deal

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. game — wild animals
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. rule — a law
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a dance
  8. rule — government
  9. bound — obliged
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. last — to go on
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bound — tied together
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bound — certain
  16. kick — in football
  17. fork — in a road
  18. last — finally
  19. deal — to handle
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — a match
  24. last — final

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