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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. craft — a skill
  3. club — for dancing
  4. band — a ring
  5. track — a song
  6. track — to keep track
  7. fall — the season
  8. club — a group
  9. mug — a cup
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. fall — to drop
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. band — a music group
  15. club — for golf
  16. capital — a city
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — to rob
  19. craft — boats
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. fall — to drop
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. capital — money

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