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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: wound · fork · board · safe · plane · straw · chip · pop

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. chip — for betting
  5. pop — to visit
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. plane — a tool
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. pop — soda
  12. chip — to eat
  13. pop — music
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. fork — in a road
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. board — to get on
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. board — a committee

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