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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. fork — in a road
  6. face — to confront
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. board — to get on
  9. wake — a trail
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — a committee
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — decided
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. face — part of the head
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. face — to point toward
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — for catching

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