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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: firm · board · fork · wake · kid · ruler

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. kid — child
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. kid — to tease
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fork — in a road
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. firm — steady
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wake — a trail
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. firm — a company
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a committee

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