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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. land — a country
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. ground — crushed
  6. game — a match
  7. mug — to rob
  8. land — ground
  9. land — to come down
  10. lie — to recline
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. game — wild animals
  16. mug — a face
  17. board — to get on
  18. ground — the earth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mug — a cup
  21. board — a committee
  22. craft — boats
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. ground — a position

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