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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 116 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: snap · club · craft · board · march · mate · bay · content

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. mate — to breed
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. march — music
  6. content — happy
  7. mate — a partner
  8. club — a group
  9. board — a committee
  10. snap — to click
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. content — the amount
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. mate — a friend
  15. club — for dancing
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. board — to get on
  18. march — the month
  19. craft — boats
  20. march — the month
  21. craft — a skill
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. club — for golf

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