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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 120 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. board — to get on
  3. last — final
  4. spell — magic
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. board — a committee
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. last — to go on
  9. bulb — for light
  10. fork — in a road
  11. plane — a tool
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. spell — a short time
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. last — finally
  18. tube — the underground
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bulb — for light
  22. spell — letters
  23. pound — a weight
  24. tube — a container

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