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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 120 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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — crushed
  3. board — a committee
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. ground — a position
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. cap — of ice
  9. rash — a series
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cue — a hint
  13. craft — a skill
  14. cold — not warm
  15. cold — an illness
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bound — tied together
  18. cue — a signal
  19. board — to get on
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bound — obliged
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bound — certain
  24. craft — boats

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