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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — in music
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cold — an illness
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. board — a committee
  10. cold — not warm
  11. net — in sport
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. deal — to handle
  14. craft — boats
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. cap — of ice
  17. key — the most important part
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — after costs
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. board — to get 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