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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: firm · fork · cabinet · dip · board · rush · scale · ground

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. scale — in music
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. board — a committee
  7. firm — steady
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. ground — a position
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. firm — decided
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. ground — the earth
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. scale — size or range
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. firm — a company
  20. board — to get on
  21. dip — to sink
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. ground — crushed

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