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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. rest — a break
  3. board — a committee
  4. rest — what's left
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. present — the time now
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. rest — what's left
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. fork — in a road
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. present — a gift
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. field — for sport
  17. date — the fruit
  18. field — a subject
  19. chip — for betting
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. present — there
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. field — farmland
  24. chip — to eat

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