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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. board — a committee
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. board — to get on
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — a video
  8. bat — the animal
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. craft — boats
  13. mug — to rob
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. clip — to cut
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. craft — a skill
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. wake — a trail
  24. mug — a face

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