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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bark — to shout
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — the most important part
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. sharp — clever
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. fork — in a road
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. key — in music
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. fork — a garden tool

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