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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: bound · jam · board · craft · fan · race · cabinet · dip

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. craft — boats
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. board — to get on
  6. race — a contest
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bound — obliged
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bound — certain
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. bound — tied together
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. race — humankind
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. race — the arms race
  23. craft — a skill
  24. dip — to sink

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