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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. pitch — completely
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. land — ground
  5. club — a group
  6. mug — to rob
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. land — a country
  9. bound — certain
  10. land — to come down
  11. craft — boats
  12. stand — to bear
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bound — obliged
  15. club — for golf
  16. bound — tied together
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. wax — to grow
  21. craft — a skill
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. mug — a face
  24. wax — for sculpting

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