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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: present · temple · swing · saw · land · ground · fork · jam

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. saw — the tool
  3. present — there
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. land — a country
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. present — a gift
  9. ground — crushed
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. swing — music
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. ground — a position
  14. saw — the tool
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. land — ground
  17. present — the time now
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. land — to come down
  20. swing — to play on
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. swing — in golf
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — a garden 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