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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: fine · ground · bay · board · face · pound · shower · craft

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. shower — to wash
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. shower — rain
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — part of the head
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. craft — boats
  13. face — to confront
  14. fine — all right
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — crushed
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. ground — a position
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a committee
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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