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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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. lean — to rest against
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a committee
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mark — a trace
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lean — thin
  13. mark — a grade
  14. row — to paddle
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. net — after costs
  18. fork — in a road
  19. net — for catching
  20. row — a line
  21. pitch — completely
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. lean — to bend
  24. net — in sport

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