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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. fork — in a road
  3. mate — to breed
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. board — to get on
  8. content — the amount
  9. craft — a skill
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. content — happy
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. craft — boats
  16. mate — a friend
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — to bear
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. mate — a partner

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