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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: saw · content · fork · game · spring · safe · drill · foot

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. spring — a coil
  4. content — the amount
  5. fork — in a road
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. saw — the tool
  8. drill — army training
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. foot — a measure
  11. content — happy
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. game — a match
  15. spring — of water
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. saw — the tool
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. spring — the season
  22. drill — the tool
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. drill — a practice

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