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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. ground — a position
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a skill
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. foot — a measure
  10. rock — a stone
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the fish
  15. ground — crushed
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ground — the earth
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. board — a flat piece

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