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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 116 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: board · firm · fork · bass · pop · tear · plane · cap

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. cap — a hat
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — to get on
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bass — low music
  8. tear — to rip
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. plane — a tool
  12. board — a committee
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. firm — a company
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. firm — steady
  17. tear — from crying
  18. cap — a lid
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. cap — of ice
  23. firm — decided
  24. pop — soda

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