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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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Word bank
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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: stand · fork · stick · cell · drill · board

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. board — to get on
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. cell — in biology
  5. drill — army training
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. drill — a practice
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. drill — the tool
  11. fork — in a road
  12. board — a committee
  13. stand — to bear
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. cell — a phone
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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