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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 116 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. rock — music
  3. fine — all right
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. drill — a practice
  6. board — a committee
  7. drill — the tool
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. craft — boats
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. rock — a stone
  12. board — to get on
  13. mark — a grade
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. deal — to handle
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. drill — army training
  18. fine — high quality
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. craft — a skill
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mark — a trace
  24. saw — the tool

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