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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.

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 · game · leaves · fork · tube · key · band · march

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. band — a music group
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. key — the most important part
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. game — wild animals
  10. band — a ring
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. fork — in a road
  13. march — the month
  14. game — a match
  15. saw — the tool
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — a container
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. key — in music
  20. march — music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. march — the month
  23. saw — the tool
  24. leaves — to go away

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