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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: craft · roll · jam · board · squash · fork · bowl · capital

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. craft — boats
  7. squash — the sport
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. capital — money
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. roll — a cake
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. capital — a city
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. squash — to crush
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — a skill
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. roll — a list

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