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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — obliged
  4. mark — a trace
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. board — a committee
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. board — to get on
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a grade
  12. saw — the tool
  13. craft — a skill
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bound — tied together
  18. fan — to cool the air

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