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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. craft — a skill
  6. track — a path
  7. craft — boats
  8. row — to paddle
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — a price
  14. season — of the year
  15. track — a song
  16. season — in sport
  17. row — a line
  18. board — to get on
  19. charge — electricity
  20. board — a committee
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. track — to keep track
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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