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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — to get on
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. rash — hasty
  6. craft — a skill
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. rash — a series
  12. date — the fruit
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. craft — boats
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — crushed
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ground — the earth
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bulb — for light
  24. board — a committee

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