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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. game — a match
  3. race — a contest
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. ground — crushed
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. fork — in a road
  8. board — to get on
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. ground — a position
  16. board — a committee
  17. game — wild animals
  18. ground — the earth
  19. race — the arms race
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. race — humankind
  24. can — a tin

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