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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: bound · fork · ruler · tube · prune · march · game · lean

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  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. game — a kind of play
  2. march — the month
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. game — a match
  5. bound — certain
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. fork — in a road
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. prune — to trim
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. march — the month
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bound — tied together
  18. game — wild animals
  19. march — music
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bound — obliged
  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