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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. shower — rain
  3. tear — from crying
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — decided
  7. tear — to rip
  8. fork — in a road
  9. race — humankind
  10. firm — steady
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. march — the month
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — to get on
  16. race — the arms race
  17. march — the month
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. march — music
  20. race — a contest
  21. tear — from crying
  22. shower — to wash
  23. board — a committee
  24. fork — to eat with

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