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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 120 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. last — final
  3. club — for dancing
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — farmland
  6. last — finally
  7. field — for sport
  8. charge — in control
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. charge — a price
  13. club — a group
  14. craft — boats
  15. last — to go on
  16. object — to protest
  17. net — after costs
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — a safe
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. object — an aim
  22. club — for golf
  23. charge — electricity
  24. object — a thing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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