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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. kid — child
  4. ground — a position
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. kid — to tease
  7. rule — government
  8. board — to get on
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. present — there
  11. present — the time now
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — a stone
  14. ground — crushed
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. rule — a law
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. ground — the earth
  20. craft — boats
  21. rock — music
  22. craft — a skill
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. present — a gift

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