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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: fork · safe · staff · roll · march · bore · deal · court

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. court — for sport
  4. staff — employees
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. staff — employees
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. court — of law
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — in a road
  13. staff — a stick
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bore — to drill
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. march — the month
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bore — to tire
  22. roll — a cake
  23. court — of a king
  24. deal — an agreement

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