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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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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: deal · roll · land · wound · saw · ruler · content · march

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. deal — to handle
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. wound — an injury
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wound — an injury
  11. march — the month
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. content — happy
  14. content — the amount
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. march — the month
  18. roll — a cake
  19. land — a country
  20. saw — the tool
  21. land — ground
  22. saw — the tool
  23. roll — a list
  24. land — to come down

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