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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. mate — a partner
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — for catching
  8. craft — boats
  9. board — to get on
  10. bulb — for light
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. roll — a list
  15. snap — to click
  16. board — a committee
  17. mate — a friend
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. mate — to breed
  20. rash — hasty
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — a skill
  23. net — in sport
  24. bulb — for light

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