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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. board — a committee
  5. fork — in a road
  6. toast — bread
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. hand — in cards
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. ground — a position
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. ground — crushed
  16. hand — help
  17. present — a gift
  18. ground — the earth
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. wake — a trail
  21. present — the time now
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. present — there

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