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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 120 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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. firm — steady
  3. face — to point toward
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. firm — decided
  7. board — to get on
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. pop — to visit
  12. board — a committee
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. face — to confront
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bark — to shout
  17. face — part of the head
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. firm — a company
  22. pop — music
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. pop — soda

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