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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 116 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. craft — a skill
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. land — ground
  7. game — wild animals
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. board — to get on
  10. rush — hurry
  11. land — to come down
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. staff — employees
  15. board — a committee
  16. staff — employees
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. game — a match
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. season — of the year
  22. craft — boats
  23. season — in sport
  24. staff — a stick

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