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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: squash · sharp · root · fan · board · hand · craft · straw

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. squash — the sport
  3. craft — boats
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. craft — a skill
  8. root — of a plant
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. squash — to crush
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. board — a committee
  15. root — the cause
  16. hand — help
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. sharp — clever
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. root — of a word
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. hand — in cards

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