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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: fine · firm · mine · cap · board · tear · fork · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mine — for digging
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. tear — to rip
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. tear — from crying
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. rock — a stone
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a hat
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rock — music
  15. fork — in a road
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a committee
  19. fine — all right
  20. cap — a lid
  21. firm — steady
  22. fine — high quality
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — a company

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