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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. board — to get on
  3. staff — employees
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. board — a committee
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. staff — a stick
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. game — wild animals
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. game — a match

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