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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. 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. fork — to eat with
  2. board — to get on
  3. scale — in music
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — letters
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. board — a committee
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. spell — a short time
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. tube — a container
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. scale — size or range
  17. tube — the underground
  18. 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