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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: board · net · craft · trunk · root · bass · mine · toast

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. toast — bread
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. craft — a skill
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bass — low music
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. net — after costs
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — of a word
  17. board — to get on
  18. root — the cause
  19. mine — for digging
  20. board — a committee
  21. craft — boats
  22. bass — the fish
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. bass — the instrument

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