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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: pass · season · fork · game · jam · march · wound · drill

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. pass — a permit
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. fork — in a road
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. drill — army training
  8. wound — an injury
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. season — of the year
  12. march — music
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. march — the month
  15. game — wild animals
  16. march — the month
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. drill — the tool
  20. season — in sport
  21. drill — a practice
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. game — a match
  24. jam — a tight spot

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