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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: craft · charge · snap · board · key · bark · jam · tube

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. key — the most important part
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. key — in music
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. craft — a skill
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. charge — in control
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. tube — the underground
  12. charge — a price
  13. snap — to click
  14. key — for a lock
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. charge — electricity
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. bark — to shout
  19. board — a committee
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. board — to get on
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. tube — a container

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