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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. board — to get on
  4. pit — in a race
  5. staff — employees
  6. deal — to handle
  7. wind — moving air
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. staff — a stick
  11. pit — a hole
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. board — a committee
  16. staff — employees
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. wind — moving air

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