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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
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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 · hand · board · dip · hide · rest · fork · pitcher

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. board — a committee
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hand — in cards
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. firm — decided
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. hand — help
  16. board — to get on
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rest — a break
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — steady
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. board — a flat piece

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