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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. chest — a box
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. board — a committee
  5. craft — a skill
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. board — to get on
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. firm — decided
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. firm — steady
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. firm — a company
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. deal — to handle
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. chest — of your body
  20. spell — letters
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. craft — boats
  23. date — the fruit
  24. spell — magic

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