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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. board — to get on
  5. scale — size or range
  6. stand — to bear
  7. pitch — completely
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. chest — of your body
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. chest — of your body
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. scale — in music
  14. mark — a grade
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. spring — a coil
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. chest — a box
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. spring — of water
  22. board — a committee
  23. mark — a trace
  24. spring — the season

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