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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. wound — an injury
  3. net — in sport
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bound — certain
  6. craft — a skill
  7. board — to get on
  8. net — for catching
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bound — obliged
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. can — a tin
  16. craft — boats
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. wound — an injury
  19. can — a tin
  20. roll — a cake
  21. board — a committee
  22. bound — tied together
  23. roll — a list
  24. net — after costs

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