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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pound — a weight
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. board — to get on
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bat — the animal
  11. board — a committee
  12. swing — music
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. swing — to play on
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. swing — in golf
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — in a race
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. coach — a trainer

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