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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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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 · craft · foot · fork · snap · mate · bear · date

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bear — the animal
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. mate — a partner
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. board — to get on
  15. foot — a measure
  16. craft — a skill
  17. fork — in a road
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. foot — part of the body

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