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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: object · wind · bowl · key · plane · fork · game · roll

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. fork — in a road
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. wind — moving air
  6. key — the most important part
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — to protest
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. wind — moving air
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. object — a thing
  15. game — wild animals
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. plane — a tool
  22. roll — a list
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. key — in music

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