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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: squash · board · foot · field · pitch · fork · bank · sharp

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. field — for sport
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. board — to get on
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. field — a subject
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — a measure
  11. bank — for money
  12. field — farmland
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bank — for money
  16. sharp — clever
  17. pitch — completely
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. squash — the sport
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bank — of a river
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. squash — to crush
  24. fork — a garden tool

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