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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. board — a committee
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. craft — a skill
  9. pass — a permit
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. craft — boats
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. pound — a weight
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. board — to get on
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. kick — in football
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — a big deal

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