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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. club — for golf
  4. craft — boats
  5. scale — size or range
  6. rash — a series
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for dancing
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. prune — to trim
  12. scale — in music
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. rash — hasty
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — there
  18. craft — a skill
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. kick — in football
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. present — a gift
  24. prune — the fruit

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