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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. squash — to crush
  3. rest — what's left
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. rash — hasty
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. craft — boats
  11. squash — the sport
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — to get on
  14. mate — to breed
  15. rest — a break
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. rash — a series
  18. fine — high quality
  19. craft — a skill
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — a friend
  23. fine — all right
  24. rest — what's left

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