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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: board · sharp · saw · toast · ground · cue · temple · fork

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. cue — a hint
  4. ground — the earth
  5. board — a committee
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — a position
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — clever
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. cue — a signal
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. saw — the tool
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. toast — bread
  21. fork — in a road
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. cue — for pool

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