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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. ground — crushed
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. wound — an injury
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. land — a country
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. ground — a position
  14. board — to get on
  15. present — there
  16. present — the time now
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. ground — the earth
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. land — ground
  21. present — a gift
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. land — to come down

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