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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: row · tube · fan · cabinet · straw · field · fork · board

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. fork — in a road
  3. row — to paddle
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. board — a committee
  7. field — a subject
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — to get on
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. tube — a container
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. tube — the underground
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — farmland

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