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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. deal — to handle
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. craft — a skill
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. march — music
  8. bore — to drill
  9. craft — boats
  10. board — a committee
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. field — farmland
  13. march — the month
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. roll — a list
  17. field — for sport
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. roll — a cake
  20. march — the month
  21. field — a subject
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bore — to tire

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