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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 120 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: board · cue · lie · land · fork · coach · rest · chip

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  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. coach — pulled by horses
  2. land — a country
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. board — to get on
  5. lie — to recline
  6. fork — in a road
  7. chip — for betting
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. board — a committee
  11. land — ground
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cue — a hint
  15. rest — what's left
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. rest — a break
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. cue — for pool
  20. chip — to eat
  21. land — to come down
  22. cue — a signal
  23. rest — what's left
  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