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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. pop — music
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. pit — in a race
  6. club — a group
  7. capital — money
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. spring — a coil
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a skill
  15. club — for dancing
  16. pop — soda
  17. capital — a city
  18. pit — a hole
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pop — to visit
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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