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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. board — to get on
  4. craft — a skill
  5. rash — hasty
  6. cap — a hat
  7. craft — boats
  8. mate — a partner
  9. spring — of water
  10. mate — a friend
  11. spring — a coil
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. rash — a series
  14. cap — a lid
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. mate — to breed
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cap — of ice
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. board — a committee
  22. spring — the season
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. racket — for tennis

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