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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. land — ground
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. fine — all right
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. land — a country
  11. saw — the tool
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. field — farmland
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. field — a subject
  17. craft — a skill
  18. field — for sport
  19. craft — boats
  20. saw — the tool
  21. board — a committee
  22. land — to come down
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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