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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: mouse · ground · suit · board · lean · fork · key · tear

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. board — a committee
  3. lean — thin
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. ground — crushed
  6. suit — clothes
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. ground — the earth
  9. board — to get on
  10. ground — a position
  11. suit — to fit
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fork — in a road
  15. key — the most important part
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. key — in music
  18. tear — to rip
  19. suit — in cards
  20. tear — from crying
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. lean — to bend
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mouse — the animal

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