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

Word bank: board · present · deal · craft · clip · pit

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. craft — boats
  5. clip — to cut
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — a committee
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — there
  10. clip — a video
  11. present — a gift
  12. clip — for paper
  13. deal — to handle
  14. craft — a skill
  15. pit — a hole
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. board — to get on
  18. deal — a big deal

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