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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 120 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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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: fork · ruler · snap · ball · wind · leaves · mine · field

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. fork — in a road
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. snap — to click
  8. field — a subject
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. ball — a great time
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. field — farmland
  19. mine — for digging
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — moving air
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. field — for sport

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