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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bowl · board · fork · bay · cell · toast

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. cell — in biology
  4. toast — bread
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. fork — in a road
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — to get on
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. board — a committee
  18. toast — the most admired

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