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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 116 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — the most important part
  8. charge — in control
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. charge — electricity
  11. key — in music
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. charge — a price
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. board — to get on
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. pitch — completely
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. board — a committee

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