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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fork — in a road
  7. board — to get on
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. board — a committee
  10. pass — a permit
  11. chest — of your body
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — of water
  15. chest — a box
  16. toast — bread
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. prune — to trim
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. chest — of your body

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