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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: safe · board · lie · pound · cue · fork · jam · drill

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. drill — a practice
  10. board — a committee
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. drill — army training
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a hint
  16. drill — the tool
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cue — a signal
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — a weight
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. fork — in a road
  23. board — to get on
  24. lie — to recline

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