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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: present · chest · row · staff · pass · fork · pound · board

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. present — the time now
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. pass — a permit
  7. board — to get on
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. chest — of your body
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. present — a gift
  12. chest — a box
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. chest — of your body
  15. present — there
  16. staff — employees
  17. row — to paddle
  18. board — a committee
  19. staff — employees
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. pound — a weight
  24. row — a line

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