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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: game · spell · craft · ground · fork · mine · fine · bank

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. craft — a skill
  3. game — wild animals
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — crushed
  6. game — a match
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bank — for money
  9. fork — in a road
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — high quality
  13. craft — boats
  14. spell — magic
  15. bank — for money
  16. mine — for digging
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — a short time
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bank — of a river
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. ground — a position
  24. game — a kind of play

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