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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. press — newspapers
  3. spell — letters
  4. board — a committee
  5. craft — boats
  6. press — a publisher
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. press — to push
  10. degree — an amount
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. board — to get on
  13. land — a country
  14. bear — the animal
  15. craft — a skill
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — ground
  19. degree — from a university
  20. content — happy
  21. degree — temperature
  22. content — the amount
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. spell — magic

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