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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. net — in sport
  4. capital — money
  5. craft — a skill
  6. chip — for betting
  7. net — for catching
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. board — a committee
  13. stand — to bear
  14. capital — a city
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. net — after costs
  19. chip — to eat
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. can — a tin
  24. board — to get on

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