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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. track — to keep track
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. key — in music
  5. board — a committee
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. track — a song
  8. shower — to wash
  9. board — to get on
  10. key — for a lock
  11. spring — of water
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. track — a path
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. spring — the season
  16. craft — boats
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. key — the most important part
  20. shower — rain
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — in music
  23. craft — a skill
  24. spring — a coil

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