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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. board — a committee
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. clip — a video
  6. board — to get on
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. clip — for paper
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bound — obliged
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bear — the animal
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bound — tied together
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bound — certain
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the sport
  24. perch — the fish

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