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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. squash — the sport
  3. capital — a city
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. craft — a skill
  6. squash — to crush
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rash — a series
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. craft — boats
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. capital — money
  19. rash — hasty
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. lie — to recline

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