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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. march — the month
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bound — obliged
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. board — to get on
  7. file — a document
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bound — certain
  10. file — a line of people
  11. lie — to recline
  12. file — a tool
  13. bound — tied together
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. march — the month
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pitch — completely
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. march — music
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. board — a committee
  24. fork — in a road

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