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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. craft — boats
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. game — a match
  6. court — for sport
  7. craft — a skill
  8. court — of law
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. stand — to bear
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bank — for money
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bank — of a river
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bank — for money
  19. pound — a weight
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. game — wild animals
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. court — of a king

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