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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — to get on
  3. craft — boats
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — the tool
  14. plane — a tool
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. drill — army training
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bear — the animal
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. pit — in a race

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