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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. craft — a skill
  3. net — after costs
  4. charge — in control
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. club — for golf
  8. charge — electricity
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. club — a group
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. squash — to crush
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. charge — a price
  15. dip — to sink
  16. rush — hurry
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. club — for dancing
  19. net — in sport
  20. squash — the sport
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. craft — boats
  23. wax — to grow
  24. squash — the vegetable

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