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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 120 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. saw — the tool
  3. file — a tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. firm — a company
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. file — a line of people
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. board — a committee
  12. file — a document
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. net — for catching
  16. vault — a safe
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. board — to get on
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — steady
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — in sport

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