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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. face — part of the head
  3. net — after costs
  4. craft — boats
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. spell — magic
  7. cue — for pool
  8. board — to get on
  9. cue — a signal
  10. spell — a short time
  11. cue — a hint
  12. face — to confront
  13. net — in sport
  14. craft — a skill
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. net — for catching
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. spell — letters
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. face — to point toward
  24. racket — for tennis

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