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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. degree — from a university
  7. hand — help
  8. prune — to trim
  9. board — a committee
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. hand — in cards
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. wax — to grow
  17. degree — temperature
  18. fork — in a road
  19. degree — an amount
  20. pit — in a race
  21. prune — to trim
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pit — a hole
  24. board — to get 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