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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: mine · fork · bound · safe · bowl · dip · last · march

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bound — tied together
  3. march — the month
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. last — to go on
  6. march — the month
  7. last — finally
  8. bound — obliged
  9. march — music
  10. bound — certain
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. dip — to sink
  13. fork — in a road
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. mine — for digging
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. last — final
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bowl — a football final

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