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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: cap · stand · perch · fork · bowl · board · key · object

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. cap — a hat
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. object — an aim
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. board — a committee
  11. key — for a lock
  12. cap — a lid
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. perch — the fish
  18. board — to get on
  19. key — in music
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. object — a thing
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cap — of ice
  24. key — the most important part

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