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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: fork · board · plane · court · pitcher · wind · ruler · sharp

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. sharp — clever
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. plane — a tool
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. wind — moving air
  14. board — to get on
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. court — of a king
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. court — for sport
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. court — of law
  24. fork — in a road

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