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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 116 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  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. rock — a stone
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. key — for a lock
  5. game — wild animals
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. board — to get on
  8. rock — music
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. game — a match
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. hand — help
  13. key — in music
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. key — the most important part
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a skill
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. sharp — clever
  21. hand — in cards
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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