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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. squash — to crush
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. board — a committee
  7. tube — a container
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. board — to get on
  10. fork — in a road
  11. scale — in music
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. row — to paddle
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bass — low music
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. squash — the sport
  19. scale — size or range
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. row — a line
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — the fish

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