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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  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 — to get on
  2. deal — to handle
  3. craft — a skill
  4. object — a thing
  5. squash — the sport
  6. pop — to visit
  7. craft — boats
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. object — an aim
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bound — obliged
  12. pop — music
  13. perch — the fish
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pop — soda
  17. bound — tied together
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. object — to protest
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bound — certain
  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