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

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. club — for golf
  3. craft — boats
  4. saw — the tool
  5. net — after costs
  6. saw — the tool
  7. scale — in music
  8. net — in sport
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. rock — music
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. net — for catching
  15. mug — a cup
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — a law
  18. mug — to rob
  19. scale — size or range
  20. rock — a stone
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — a group
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. craft — a skill

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