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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — boats
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. board — a committee
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. present — there
  7. rash — hasty
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. present — the time now
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. capital — a city
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. capital — money
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — clever
  19. board — to get on
  20. rash — a series
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. present — a gift
  24. capital — a big letter

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