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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — in cards
  6. can — to be able to
  7. ground — crushed
  8. craft — boats
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. ground — the earth
  16. snap — to click
  17. pop — music
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. hand — help
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — soda
  22. board — to get on
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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