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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. craft — boats
  4. bore — to drill
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bore — to tire
  11. ground — crushed
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. ground — the earth
  17. pitch — completely
  18. ground — a position
  19. board — a committee
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. vault — a safe
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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