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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. bank — of a river
  8. board — to get on
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bank — for money
  11. fork — in a road
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. saw — the tool
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. key — the most important part
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. key — in music
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bank — for money
  24. saw — the tool

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