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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 · can · bat · board · spring · temple · rush · foot

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. can — a tin
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. spring — the season
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. board — to get on
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. spring — of water
  16. foot — a measure
  17. can — to be able to
  18. rush — hurry
  19. can — a tin
  20. bat — the animal
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. spring — a coil

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