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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: bank · craft · board · pitcher · mate · charge · staff · row

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. row — a line
  3. charge — electricity
  4. craft — boats
  5. staff — a stick
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bank — for money
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bank — for money
  11. row — to paddle
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bank — of a river
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — a committee
  17. mate — a friend
  18. charge — a price
  19. board — to get on
  20. mate — to breed
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. charge — in control

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