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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 120 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 · object · court · fine · game · arm · stick · wound

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — wild animals
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. fine — high quality
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. object — a thing
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. object — an aim
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — of law
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fork — in a road
  19. court — for sport
  20. fine — all right
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. game — a match
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. object — to protest

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