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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fork · pitcher · court · stick · board · hand · squash · spell

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  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. pitcher — in baseball
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. hand — help
  4. spell — letters
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. court — for sport
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. squash — to crush
  9. court — of a king
  10. board — a committee
  11. spell — magic
  12. hand — in cards
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. fork — in a road
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. court — of law
  18. spell — a short time
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. squash — the sport
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fork — to eat with
  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