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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. face — to point toward
  3. craft — boats
  4. face — part of the head
  5. degree — an amount
  6. swing — music
  7. degree — temperature
  8. track — a path
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. track — a song
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — goods
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bulb — for light
  18. board — a committee
  19. degree — from a university
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. board — to get on
  23. face — to confront
  24. swing — to play 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