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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. rest — what's left
  3. deal — to handle
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — the amount
  6. craft — boats
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. content — happy
  10. rush — hurry
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mark — a trace
  14. board — a committee
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mark — a grade
  22. rest — a break
  23. craft — a skill
  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