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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. charge — in control
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. file — a document
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. craft — boats
  9. club — for dancing
  10. craft — a skill
  11. club — for golf
  12. charge — a price
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. plane — a tool
  15. spring — of water
  16. charge — electricity
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. file — a tool
  19. game — a match
  20. club — a group
  21. game — wild animals
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — a coil

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