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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: roll · bowl · field · game · face · mark · craft · fork

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — to point toward
  4. mark — a grade
  5. fork — in a road
  6. game — a match
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — a subject
  12. mark — a trace
  13. craft — boats
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. face — part of the head
  16. field — for sport
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. roll — a cake
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. craft — a skill
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. craft — a handicraft

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