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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. deal — to handle
  5. hand — help
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. club — for dancing
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. club — for golf
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. rule — a law
  17. hand — in cards
  18. rule — government
  19. club — a group
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. mine — for digging
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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