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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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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. board — a committee
  3. pop — soda
  4. board — to get on
  5. ball — a dance
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. ball — a great time
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. band — a ring
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pop — music
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. fork — in a road
  19. pop — to visit
  20. stem — to come from
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. band — a music group
  24. stem — a stem cell

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