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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. mate — a friend
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. mate — to breed
  6. fall — the season
  7. fork — in a road
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. face — to confront
  11. board — to get on
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. fall — to drop
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. club — for golf
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. club — for dancing
  19. mate — a partner
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. fall — to drop
  22. board — a committee
  23. face — part of the head
  24. club — a group

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