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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: drill · bowl · pit · board · pound · fork · shower · rest

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  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 — to eat with
  2. rest — what's left
  3. board — to get on
  4. fork — in a road
  5. pound — a weight
  6. shower — rain
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pit — a hole
  9. drill — a practice
  10. shower — to wash
  11. drill — the tool
  12. rest — a break
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. drill — army training
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pit — in a race
  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