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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. ball — a great time
  3. current — happening now
  4. season — in sport
  5. spring — a coil
  6. fine — all right
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. spring — the season
  9. fine — high quality
  10. club — a group
  11. craft — a skill
  12. club — for dancing
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. rest — a break
  16. club — for golf
  17. current — of water
  18. current — electric
  19. season — of the year
  20. ball — a dance
  21. spring — of water
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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