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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. file — a line of people
  3. tube — the underground
  4. file — a document
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bat — the animal
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. board — to get on
  11. season — in sport
  12. tube — a container
  13. file — a tool
  14. board — a committee
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. cap — a lid
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. season — of the year
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. craft — boats
  22. cap — a hat
  23. craft — a skill
  24. cap — of ice

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