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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: fork · ruler · can · nail · pitch · field · wind · board

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. can — a tin
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pitch — completely
  10. field — a subject
  11. fork — in a road
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. can — a tin
  16. board — to get on
  17. field — for sport
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. board — a committee
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. wind — moving air
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. can — to be able to
  24. field — farmland

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