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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 · ground · craft · file · spell · ball · pound · suit

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. board — to get on
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. suit — to fit
  7. ball — a dance
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. suit — clothes
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. ground — the earth
  13. spell — a short time
  14. file — a line of people
  15. suit — in cards
  16. ball — a great time
  17. craft — a skill
  18. spell — magic
  19. pound — a weight
  20. spell — letters
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. file — a tool
  23. board — a committee
  24. file — a document

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