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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's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — rain
  3. suit — clothes
  4. staff — a stick
  5. craft — boats
  6. court — for sport
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — of law
  11. club — for golf
  12. suit — to fit
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. club — a group
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. club — for dancing
  17. suit — in cards
  18. staff — employees
  19. craft — a skill
  20. staff — employees
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — of the year

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