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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 120 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: fork · can · pop · board · land · stand · wound · net

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — ground
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. net — in sport
  6. board — a committee
  7. fork — in a road
  8. board — to get on
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. net — for catching
  13. pop — to visit
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — to bear
  16. can — to be able to
  17. wound — an injury
  18. land — a country
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. net — after costs
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — music
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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