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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 116 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. board — a committee
  3. cue — a hint
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rule — government
  6. board — to get on
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a leader
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. craft — boats
  14. ball — a great time
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — in a road
  19. cue — a signal
  20. stock — shares
  21. cue — for pool
  22. rule — a law
  23. stock — goods
  24. ball — a dance

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