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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: lean · fork · ball · land · toast · arm · prune · board

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  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. board — a flat piece
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. land — ground
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. lean — to bend
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. land — a country
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. board — to get on
  12. prune — to trim
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. ball — a great time
  15. land — to come down
  16. lean — thin
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. ball — a dance
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. toast — bread
  23. fork — in a road
  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