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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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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 · spring · date · chip · face · pound · lash · board

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — the fruit
  6. face — to point toward
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — a committee
  13. face — part of the head
  14. board — to get on
  15. face — to confront
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. spring — the season
  18. pound — a weight
  19. spring — a coil
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. spring — of water

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