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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: board · fan · key · fork · sharp · pound · last · chip

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. board — to get on
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. last — finally
  5. last — to go on
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. key — the most important part
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. key — for a lock
  11. chip — to eat
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. sharp — clever
  15. key — in music
  16. chip — for betting
  17. fork — in a road
  18. board — a committee
  19. last — final
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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