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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. board — a committee
  3. craft — boats
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. board — to get on
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. mug — to rob
  10. race — a contest
  11. mug — a face
  12. band — a music group
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. mug — a cup
  16. ground — the earth
  17. race — humankind
  18. craft — a skill
  19. race — the arms race
  20. ball — a dance
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ground — a position
  24. band — a ring

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