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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 116 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  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 — a flat piece
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. wake — a trail
  4. craft — a skill
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bass — low music
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. cell — a phone
  13. board — to get on
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. craft — boats
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. cap — a lid
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bass — the fish
  22. deal — to handle
  23. plane — a tool
  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