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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: field · board · straw · cue · fork · toast · present · nail

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. field — a subject
  3. present — there
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. present — a gift
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. cue — for pool
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. board — to get on
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. present — the time now
  14. cue — a signal
  15. toast — bread
  16. board — a committee
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. fork — in a road
  21. field — farmland
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. cue — a hint
  24. field — for sport

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