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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: board · mouse · craft · net · mate · pitcher · rest · rash

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. rest — a break
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. net — after costs
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. mate — a partner
  8. rest — what's left
  9. net — in sport
  10. board — to get on
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — boats
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. rash — hasty
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rash — a series
  20. net — for catching
  21. board — a committee
  22. mate — to breed
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rest — what's left

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