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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 120 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. ball — a dance
  5. cell — in biology
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. band — a music group
  9. perch — the fish
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. season — in sport
  12. board — to get on
  13. ball — a great time
  14. cell — a phone
  15. season — of the year
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. suit — clothes
  19. band — a ring
  20. suit — to fit
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. suit — in cards
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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