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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.

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: saw · net · straw · board · march · last · rock · fork

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  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. board — to get on
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. last — to go on
  4. march — the month
  5. last — final
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rock — a stone
  11. net — in sport
  12. fork — in a road
  13. saw — the tool
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. march — music
  16. last — finally
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. net — for catching
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. net — after costs
  21. march — the month
  22. rock — music
  23. straw — a straw man
  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