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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. chest — a box
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. rule — government
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. board — a committee
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — for catching
  9. rule — a law
  10. craft — a skill
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. ball — a dance
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. sharp — clever
  15. chest — of your body
  16. net — in sport
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — completely
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a great time
  22. chest — of your body
  23. craft — boats
  24. board — to get on

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