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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. board — to get on
  4. mate — a partner
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fork — in a road
  7. net — after costs
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. net — in sport
  13. fine — high quality
  14. mate — a friend
  15. net — for catching
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. board — a committee
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. mate — to breed
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. shower — to wash

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