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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
468
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: fork · cabinet · spell · board · bound · band · pit · face

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. fork — in a road
  3. band — a ring
  4. face — to confront
  5. band — a music group
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. spell — letters
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bound — tied together
  10. board — to get on
  11. bound — certain
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. spell — magic
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. board — a committee
  18. spell — a short time
  19. pit — a hole
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — part of the head
  22. pit — in a race
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bound — obliged

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