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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. cap — a hat
  4. craft — a skill
  5. land — to come down
  6. field — farmland
  7. track — a song
  8. land — a country
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. toast — bread
  12. cap — a lid
  13. board — to get on
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. land — ground
  17. field — a subject
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. track — to keep track
  21. craft — boats
  22. field — for sport
  23. track — a path
  24. board — a committee

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