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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fine — high quality
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. board — a committee
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a hat
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. sharp — clever
  15. fork — in a road
  16. board — to get on
  17. cap — a lid
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. chip — to eat
  21. hand — help
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. fine — all right

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