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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. board — to get on
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. staff — employees
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. prune — to trim
  14. capital — a city
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. prune — to trim
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. craft — boats
  21. board — a committee
  22. capital — money
  23. craft — a skill
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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