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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. board — a committee
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. board — to get on
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — a skill
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. deal — to handle
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pound — a weight
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. fine — all right
  23. wax — to grow
  24. trunk — of a tree

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