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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
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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: fine · cabinet · land · saw · march · face · fork · bowl

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. face — to confront
  4. land — ground
  5. fork — in a road
  6. face — part of the head
  7. fine — high quality
  8. march — music
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. march — the month
  12. march — the month
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. fine — all right
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. land — a country
  22. saw — the tool
  23. face — to point toward
  24. land — to come down

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