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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.

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: fork · face · key · board · field · branch · fall · bound

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. key — for a lock
  3. fork — in a road
  4. field — a subject
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. fall — to drop
  7. field — for sport
  8. bound — tied together
  9. fall — to drop
  10. face — to point toward
  11. bound — certain
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. key — in music
  14. board — to get on
  15. bound — obliged
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — a division
  18. field — farmland
  19. fall — the season
  20. face — to confront
  21. key — the most important part
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. face — part of the head

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