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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 · kid · present · season · squash · pass · board · rule

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. present — the time now
  6. craft — boats
  7. rule — government
  8. season — of the year
  9. board — a committee
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. squash — to crush
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. rule — a law
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — in sport
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. craft — a skill
  18. present — there
  19. squash — the sport
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — to tease
  22. pass — a permit
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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