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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: snap · board · cap · band · fork · object

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. cap — of ice
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a ring
  5. snap — to click
  6. cap — a hat
  7. object — an aim
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. board — a committee
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. object — to protest
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. cap — a lid
  17. board — to get on
  18. object — a thing

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