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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 120 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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. craft — a skill
  4. content — happy
  5. bank — of a river
  6. craft — boats
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. board — a committee
  9. bank — for money
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. content — the amount
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. chip — to eat
  14. track — a path
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. perch — the fish
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bank — for money
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. track — a song
  22. board — to get on
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — in a computer

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