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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — in control
  4. capital — a city
  5. board — to get on
  6. present — the time now
  7. craft — boats
  8. present — a gift
  9. bass — the fish
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. chip — to eat
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. capital — money
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. present — there
  21. charge — electricity
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — a committee
  24. chip — for betting

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