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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. press — to push
  3. mate — to breed
  4. deal — to handle
  5. mate — a friend
  6. charge — a price
  7. root — the cause
  8. mate — a partner
  9. board — a committee
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. charge — in control
  12. craft — a skill
  13. press — newspapers
  14. root — of a word
  15. bear — the animal
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. charge — electricity
  20. board — to get on
  21. bear — the animal
  22. root — of a plant
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. press — a publisher

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