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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. pop — soda
  3. suit — in cards
  4. craft — boats
  5. board — a committee
  6. chest — a box
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rock — a stone
  10. file — a tool
  11. bound — obliged
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bound — certain
  14. suit — clothes
  15. file — a line of people
  16. pop — music
  17. file — a document
  18. board — to get on
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rock — music
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pop — to visit

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