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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. prune — to trim
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. board — a committee
  5. present — there
  6. drill — army training
  7. present — a gift
  8. board — to get on
  9. file — a line of people
  10. drill — a practice
  11. file — a document
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. prune — to trim
  14. present — the time now
  15. drill — the tool
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. file — a tool
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — boats
  24. fork — a garden tool

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