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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 · board · capital · staff · chip · season · prune · straw

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. staff — a stick
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — a city
  5. capital — money
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. chip — for betting
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. chip — to eat
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. staff — employees
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. prune — to trim
  16. board — to get on
  17. prune — to trim
  18. fork — in a road
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. staff — employees
  22. board — a committee
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. season — of the year

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