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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  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 — in a road
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wound — an injury
  6. file — a line of people
  7. court — of a king
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. file — a tool
  12. bark — to shout
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. court — of law
  15. board — to get on
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — for dancing
  18. file — a document
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. club — a group
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. board — a committee
  23. court — for sport
  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