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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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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: foot · rock · stick · cap · board · saw · fork · sharp

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. cap — of ice
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. fork — in a road
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. cap — a lid
  15. sharp — clever
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. foot — a measure
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rock — a stone
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. board — a committee
  22. cap — a hat
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. board — to get on

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