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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. wind — moving air
  4. game — wild animals
  5. club — for golf
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. game — a match
  9. bass — low music
  10. craft — a skill
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — to sink
  13. rule — government
  14. club — a group
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bass — the fish
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. rule — a law
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. club — for dancing
  24. craft — boats

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