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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. fork — in a road
  5. scale — in music
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. can — a tin
  8. scale — size or range
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. sharp — clever
  12. chair — a leader
  13. can — to be able to
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. board — to get on
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. can — a tin

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