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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 124 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — boats
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bark — to shout
  7. club — for dancing
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. craft — a skill
  12. club — a group
  13. net — in sport
  14. spell — magic
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — for catching
  19. spell — letters
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. board — a committee
  24. club — for golf

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