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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bass — the fish
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. tube — a container
  7. board — a committee
  8. rest — what's left
  9. board — to get on
  10. fork — in a road
  11. tube — the underground
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bass — low music
  14. roll — a list
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. rest — a break
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. season — of the year
  23. roll — a cake
  24. season — in sport

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