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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: game · race · ruler · hand · band · suit · fork · hide

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  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. fork — a garden tool
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. hand — in cards
  4. game — a match
  5. suit — to fit
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. game — wild animals
  9. suit — in cards
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. race — a contest
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. band — a ring
  16. fork — in a road
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. suit — clothes
  21. band — a music group
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — humankind
  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