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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: march · club · rush · mine · safe · bowl · fork · object

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. march — music
  3. rush — hurry
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. object — a thing
  8. march — the month
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for golf
  16. object — to protest
  17. march — the month
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. object — an aim
  20. mine — for digging
  21. club — for dancing
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. fork — to eat with

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