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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. pit — a hole
  3. object — a thing
  4. game — wild animals
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. object — an aim
  8. game — a match
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. object — to protest
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to sink
  18. board — a committee
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. craft — a skill
  21. pit — in a race
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. board — to get on

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