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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. club — for golf
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. drill — the tool
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. club — for dancing
  10. craft — boats
  11. last — finally
  12. prune — to trim
  13. last — to go on
  14. cell — in biology
  15. drill — a practice
  16. last — final
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. club — a group
  22. craft — a skill
  23. drill — army training
  24. can — a tin

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