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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. board — to get on
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. game — a match
  9. game — wild animals
  10. rock — a stone
  11. board — a committee
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bat — the animal
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. craft — a skill
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. rock — music
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — happy
  24. craft — boats

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