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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: bat · board · plane · bay · land · ball · ruler · fork

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. land — ground
  5. bat — the animal
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. plane — a tool
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. board — a committee
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. board — to get on
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — a country

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