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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. rash — a series
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bore — to tire
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. land — ground
  9. bore — to drill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. land — a country
  12. board — to get on
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. clip — for paper
  15. land — to come down
  16. clip — a video
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. board — a committee
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. rash — hasty
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. craft — boats
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. craft — a skill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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