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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: hide · tube · craft · court · march · board · present · wind

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. march — the month
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. present — the time now
  5. court — of a king
  6. present — there
  7. present — a gift
  8. court — for sport
  9. tube — the underground
  10. craft — a skill
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. wind — moving air
  16. board — a committee
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — a container
  19. wind — moving air
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. court — of law
  24. board — to get on

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