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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: club · board · season · ruler · craft · capital

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a committee
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. club — for dancing
  5. capital — money
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. club — for golf
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. club — a group
  11. craft — a skill
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. season — in sport
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. season — of the year
  17. capital — a city
  18. craft — boats

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