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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. board — a committee
  4. squash — the sport
  5. board — to get on
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — in a road
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. wound — an injury
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — help
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bear — the animal
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bound — certain
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. squash — to crush

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