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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mine · fork · chair · press · kick · track · leaves · board

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. kick — in football
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. mine — for digging
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — to push
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. fork — in a road
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. board — a committee
  22. press — a publisher
  23. chair — a leader
  24. track — a song

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