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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. club — for golf
  3. chip — to eat
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. vault — a safe
  6. pass — a permit
  7. land — ground
  8. mate — a partner
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. mate — to breed
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. land — to come down
  13. net — after costs
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. net — for catching
  16. craft — boats
  17. chip — for betting
  18. mate — a friend
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. land — a country
  21. net — in sport
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for dancing
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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