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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. swing — in golf
  3. cold — not warm
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bore — to drill
  7. swing — to play on
  8. board — a committee
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — to get on
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bore — to tire
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. date — the fruit
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bass — low music
  18. craft — boats
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. rush — hurry
  24. swing — music

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