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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  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. toast — a drink to someone
  2. ground — the earth
  3. game — a match
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a tool
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. craft — boats
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. craft — a skill
  12. toast — bread
  13. ground — crushed
  14. file — a line of people
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. ground — a position
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. board — a committee
  21. game — wild animals
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. game — a kind of play
  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