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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. hand — in cards
  3. field — farmland
  4. present — the time now
  5. field — a subject
  6. board — to get on
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. craft — a skill
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. present — there
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. craft — boats
  13. staff — employees
  14. sharp — clever
  15. staff — a stick
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. board — a committee
  19. hand — help
  20. field — for sport
  21. present — a gift
  22. staff — employees
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. board — a flat piece

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