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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. mark — a grade
  3. fall — to drop
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bound — obliged
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bound — certain
  8. fall — to drop
  9. board — a committee
  10. fall — the season
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bound — tied together
  15. squash — to crush
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mark — a trace
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. craft — a skill
  21. board — to get on
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — the sport

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