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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: key · wind · bowl · firm · rock · calf · craft · board

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. rock — a stone
  3. firm — a company
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. craft — boats
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — to get on
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. key — the most important part
  10. wind — moving air
  11. firm — steady
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. key — for a lock
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. craft — a skill
  19. rock — music
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. firm — decided
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. key — in music

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