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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 120 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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. squash — to crush
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. board — to get on
  5. bass — low music
  6. craft — boats
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. rock — a stone
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. craft — a skill
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bass — the fish
  14. rock — music
  15. squash — the sport
  16. saw — the tool
  17. firm — a company
  18. board — a committee
  19. firm — steady
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. saw — the tool
  24. firm — decided

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