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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: game · saw · suit · object · swing · fork · scale · ground

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — to protest
  3. ground — a position
  4. suit — to fit
  5. swing — music
  6. saw — the tool
  7. game — wild animals
  8. swing — in golf
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. ground — the earth
  12. object — an aim
  13. ground — crushed
  14. swing — to play on
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. suit — in cards
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. saw — the tool
  20. scale — in music
  21. suit — clothes
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. game — a match
  24. fork — in a road

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