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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — to get on
  8. perch — the fish
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — a position
  11. court — of law
  12. firm — decided
  13. court — for sport
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. firm — steady
  19. ground — the earth
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. court — of a king
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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