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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: spell · rash · safe · fork · game · club · row · ruler

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. spell — magic
  4. rash — hasty
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. spell — letters
  8. club — a group
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — for dancing
  12. row — to paddle
  13. rash — a series
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. game — a match
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. spell — a short time
  23. row — a line
  24. fork — in a road

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