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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: safe · racket · prune · tube · march · current · game · fork

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. game — a match
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. tube — a container
  9. game — wild animals
  10. tube — the underground
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. current — happening now
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fork — in a road
  15. march — the month
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. march — the month
  19. prune — to trim
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. current — electric
  23. current — of water
  24. fork — to eat with

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