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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 · mine · bank · drill · game · saw · tube · arm

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. drill — a practice
  5. roll — a list
  6. drill — the tool
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. bank — of a river
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. drill — army training
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. mine — for digging
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. roll — a cake
  17. game — a match
  18. bank — for money
  19. tube — a container
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bank — for money
  22. saw — the tool
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. tube — the underground

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