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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: bank · fork · ruler · craft · saw · court · straw · net

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bank — of a river
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. fork — in a road
  8. craft — boats
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. court — for sport
  11. net — in sport
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — for catching
  18. saw — the tool
  19. court — of a king
  20. bank — for money
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bank — for money
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. court — of law

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