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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: firm · plane · last · board · field · rush · fine · fork

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fine — all right
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. firm — a company
  5. board — to get on
  6. field — for sport
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. rush — hurry
  9. last — final
  10. plane — a tool
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. field — farmland
  13. firm — steady
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. board — a committee
  17. field — a subject
  18. firm — decided
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — finally
  24. fine — high quality

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