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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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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 · firm · pound · board · craft · chair · file · ground

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. ground — the earth
  3. file — a line of people
  4. firm — decided
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. chair — a leader
  7. craft — a skill
  8. ground — crushed
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. firm — a company
  12. file — a document
  13. craft — boats
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. file — a tool
  16. pound — a weight
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a committee
  19. firm — steady
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. snap — to click
  23. ground — a position
  24. craft — a handicraft

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