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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. cap — a lid
  3. ground — the earth
  4. key — the most important part
  5. ground — crushed
  6. key — for a lock
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. rock — a stone
  11. key — in music
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. fork — in a road
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. rock — music
  19. board — to get on
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. cap — a hat
  22. ground — a position
  23. cap — of ice
  24. board — a flat piece

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