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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. ground — a position
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bore — to tire
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rash — a series
  12. board — a committee
  13. bound — tied together
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pitch — completely
  16. ground — crushed
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bound — obliged
  20. craft — boats
  21. bore — to drill
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bound — certain
  24. craft — a skill

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