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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. squash — the sport
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. cap — a hat
  5. craft — boats
  6. squash — to crush
  7. board — to get on
  8. ball — a great time
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wake — a trail
  14. cap — a lid
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. can — a tin
  19. cap — of ice
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. board — a committee
  23. ball — a dance
  24. board — a flat piece

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