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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. rock — a stone
  3. band — a ring
  4. track — a song
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — to visit
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — a price
  11. rock — music
  12. band — a music group
  13. board — a committee
  14. spring — of water
  15. board — to get on
  16. spring — a coil
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. charge — in control
  20. track — a path
  21. track — to keep track
  22. spring — the season
  23. fork — in a road
  24. board — a flat piece

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