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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. club — for dancing
  4. face — to point toward
  5. plane — a tool
  6. craft — boats
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to confront
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. swing — in golf
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. club — for golf
  16. swing — music
  17. fine — high quality
  18. club — a group
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. pound — a weight
  21. swing — to play on
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. craft — a skill
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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