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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — in cards
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. staff — employees
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. net — in sport
  9. board — to get on
  10. fall — the season
  11. bore — to drill
  12. board — a committee
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. net — for catching
  17. staff — employees
  18. bore — to tire
  19. fall — to drop
  20. staff — a stick
  21. net — after costs
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fan — a supporter

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