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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. board — to get on
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. board — a committee
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. fine — all right
  15. mine — for digging
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. perch — the fish
  18. sharp — clever
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — in a road
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. fine — a penalty

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