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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 120 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. craft — boats
  5. firm — a company
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. ground — crushed
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. board — a committee
  11. firm — decided
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bear — the animal
  14. firm — steady
  15. craft — a skill
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. board — to get on
  20. press — newspapers
  21. ground — the earth
  22. press — to push
  23. ground — a position
  24. press — a publisher

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