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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. staff — a stick
  3. board — a committee
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. race — the arms race
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. row — to paddle
  10. board — to get on
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fork — in a road
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. staff — employees
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. row — a line
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — humankind
  22. staff — employees
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — hurry

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