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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: march · wound · bowl · date · roll · saw · fork · can

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. roll — a cake
  5. saw — the tool
  6. roll — a list
  7. date — the fruit
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. can — a tin
  13. march — music
  14. fork — in a road
  15. march — the month
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. wound — an injury
  20. march — the month
  21. can — a tin
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. saw — the tool

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