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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: saw · ruler · fork · land · court · board · spring · bank

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. court — of a king
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bank — for money
  5. board — a committee
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — the season
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bank — of a river
  11. board — to get on
  12. land — ground
  13. court — for sport
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. land — to come down
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. fork — in a road
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bank — for money
  21. court — of law
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. land — a country

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