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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.

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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: fork · mate · board · mark · pitcher · stick · band · face

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a trace
  4. face — to confront
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a ring
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. band — a music group
  10. board — a committee
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. mate — a partner
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mate — a friend
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. board — to get on
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. face — part of the head
  20. fork — in a road
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mark — a grade
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. face — to point toward

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