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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. charge — a price
  3. club — for dancing
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. charge — in control
  8. rash — a series
  9. pitch — completely
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rash — hasty
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. charge — electricity
  15. craft — boats
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. club — a group
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. wax — to grow
  22. sharp — clever
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. club — for golf

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