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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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. track — to keep track
  5. content — happy
  6. craft — boats
  7. rule — government
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bank — for money
  10. race — humankind
  11. rule — a law
  12. bank — of a river
  13. board — a committee
  14. content — the amount
  15. foot — a measure
  16. track — a path
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bank — for money
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. race — a contest
  21. board — to get on
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. track — a song

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