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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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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 · game · mark · stick · temple · drill · clip · jam

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. mark — a trace
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. drill — the tool
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — in a road
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. drill — army training
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. clip — a video
  14. game — wild animals
  15. drill — a practice
  16. game — a match
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. mark — a grade
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. clip — to cut
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. clip — for paper

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