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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: pit · fan · cue · deal · ground · board · stock · fork

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. board — to get on
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. ground — a position
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. cue — a signal
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — a committee
  12. ground — crushed
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ground — the earth
  15. deal — to handle
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. cue — a hint
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. fork — in a road
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — shares
  23. pit — a hole
  24. cue — for pool

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