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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — the most important part
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — help
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. plane — a tool
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. perch — the fish
  13. land — a country
  14. land — ground
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. land — to come down
  18. key — in music
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. board — a committee
  22. fork — in a road
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. board — to get on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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