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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. craft — a skill
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. board — to get on
  6. game — a match
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. key — for a lock
  9. board — a committee
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. capital — money
  13. key — in music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — a country
  17. land — ground
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — boats
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — a city
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — to drill

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