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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. board — to get on
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. board — a committee
  6. cell — in biology
  7. shower — to wash
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. clip — a video
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. track — a path
  12. clip — for paper
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. track — a song
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. clip — to cut
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. shower — rain
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. track — to keep track
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — lets stay

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