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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. object — a thing
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. scale — in music
  8. board — a committee
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bound — tied together
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. board — to get on
  16. bound — certain
  17. fork — in a road
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bound — obliged
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. object — an aim

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