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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. file — a tool
  4. deal — to handle
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — magic
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. board — a committee
  11. bass — low music
  12. bore — to tire
  13. craft — boats
  14. bore — to drill
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bass — the fish
  17. board — to get on
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. spell — a short time
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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