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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. shower — to wash
  4. spring — a coil
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. board — to get on
  7. craft — boats
  8. pop — soda
  9. spring — of water
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. spring — the season
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. board — a committee
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. pop — music
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bank — of a river
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — hurry
  21. pop — to visit
  22. shower — rain
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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