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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: jam · straw · field · fork · charge · plane · club · board

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. field — for sport
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — electricity
  9. club — a group
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — to get on
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. charge — in control
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. field — farmland
  18. fork — in a road
  19. club — for golf
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. club — for dancing
  23. plane — a tool
  24. field — a subject

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