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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: court · saw · spell · fork · band · chip · stand · present

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. chip — for betting
  3. present — there
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fork — in a road
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. court — of a king
  9. present — the time now
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. chip — to eat
  12. court — of law
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — magic
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. spell — a short time
  19. saw — the tool
  20. court — for sport
  21. present — a gift
  22. band — a music group
  23. stand — to bear
  24. band — a ring

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