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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. face — to point toward
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bound — obliged
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — in a road
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — in sport
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. game — wild animals
  12. face — part of the head
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. face — to confront
  18. net — after costs
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. branch — a division
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — certain
  24. fan — a supporter

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