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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  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. leaves — of a tree
  3. roll — a cake
  4. hand — in cards
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. roll — a list
  8. hand — help
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. ground — a position
  11. fork — in a road
  12. rash — hasty
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — to get on
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. rash — a series
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. ground — the earth
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. ground — crushed
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. arm — a part of something
  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