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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. board — a committee
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. fine — all right
  11. dip — to sink
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. chair — a leader
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. mug — a cup
  16. deal — to handle
  17. fork — in a road
  18. mug — a face
  19. fine — high quality
  20. mug — to rob
  21. game — wild animals
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. game — a match
  24. chair — to sit on

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