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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. press — newspapers
  5. tube — a container
  6. stock — goods
  7. track — a path
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. board — a committee
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. stock — shares
  14. track — to keep track
  15. prune — to trim
  16. press — a publisher
  17. track — a song
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. prune — to trim
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. press — to push
  23. fork — in a road
  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