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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. content — happy
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — from a university
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a ring
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. craft — boats
  11. plane — a tool
  12. stock — goods
  13. content — the amount
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. board — a committee
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. craft — a skill
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. degree — an amount
  23. stock — shares
  24. band — a music group

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