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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  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. rush — hurry
  2. rest — what's left
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. club — for dancing
  5. craft — a skill
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — a group
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. ground — crushed
  10. chair — a leader
  11. rest — what's left
  12. ground — a position
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. toast — bread
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. fork — in a road
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. rest — a break
  22. ground — the earth
  23. rush — a thrill
  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