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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: board · craft · saw · wake · field · deal · perch · pass

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. board — a committee
  3. craft — a skill
  4. field — farmland
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. pass — a permit
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. board — to get on
  12. deal — to handle
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. craft — boats
  15. perch — the fish
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. field — for sport
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. field — a subject
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wake — a trail

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