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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 116 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. shower — rain
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. object — to protest
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — a permit
  7. board — a committee
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. field — farmland
  10. object — an aim
  11. shower — to wash
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. fork — in a road
  15. ground — crushed
  16. field — a subject
  17. board — to get on
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. field — for sport
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. object — a thing
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — a position

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