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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
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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: field · board · fork · nail · key · wound · lie · date

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a committee
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. field — for sport
  7. date — the fruit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fork — in a road
  11. wound — an injury
  12. lie — to recline
  13. key — for a lock
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wound — an injury
  17. field — farmland
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. field — a subject
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. key — the most important part
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. key — in music

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