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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: pop · stick · pass · board · wound · chest · ruler · fork

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. pop — to visit
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. wound — an injury
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. chest — of your body
  9. board — to get on
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pop — music
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. pop — soda
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. fork — in a road
  21. pass — a permit
  22. chest — a box
  23. board — a committee
  24. fork — to eat with

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