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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 116 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: fan · bowl · snap · board · fork · bore · pit · field

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. fan — to cool the air
  2. pit — in a race
  3. snap — to click
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bore — to tire
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. field — farmland
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. fork — in a road
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — for sport
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. board — a committee
  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