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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to click
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. drill — army training
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — completely
  8. net — for catching
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. club — for dancing
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. drill — the tool
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. drill — a practice
  16. club — for golf
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. net — after costs
  20. craft — a skill
  21. deal — to handle
  22. net — in sport
  23. craft — boats
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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