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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. 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. club — for dancing
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. march — music
  4. content — the amount
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. craft — boats
  9. charge — electricity
  10. march — the month
  11. content — happy
  12. march — the month
  13. craft — a skill
  14. mine — for digging
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — in control
  17. club — a group
  18. 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