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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. fork — in a road
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. band — a ring
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. date — the fruit
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. net — for catching
  15. board — a committee
  16. net — after costs
  17. vault — a safe
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. board — to get on
  21. net — in sport
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. band — a music group

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