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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. hand — in cards
  3. craft — a skill
  4. hand — help
  5. roll — a list
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. craft — boats
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. cap — of ice
  10. press — a publisher
  11. wax — to grow
  12. press — newspapers
  13. roll — a cake
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a plant
  18. press — to push
  19. root — of a word
  20. board — to get on
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. cap — a hat
  23. board — a committee
  24. cap — a lid

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