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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 120 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: foot · fork · pass · march · track · kid · staff · board

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. march — music
  4. board — a committee
  5. fork — in a road
  6. staff — employees
  7. track — a path
  8. foot — a measure
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. kid — child
  11. march — the month
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. track — a song
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. pass — a permit
  17. kid — to tease
  18. march — the month
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. staff — a stick
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. track — to keep track
  24. staff — employees

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