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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. craft — boats
  3. key — in music
  4. spring — a coil
  5. kid — to tease
  6. board — to get on
  7. spring — of water
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. press — a publisher
  10. craft — a skill
  11. press — to push
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. board — a committee
  14. season — in sport
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. spring — the season
  17. season — of the year
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. press — newspapers
  20. key — the most important part
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bowl — a dish

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