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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. court — for sport
  4. lean — thin
  5. firm — steady
  6. craft — boats
  7. club — for golf
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. firm — a company
  10. court — of law
  11. net — in sport
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. craft — a skill
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. net — after costs
  16. court — of a king
  17. lean — to bend
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. firm — decided
  20. pit — in a race
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for dancing
  23. pit — a hole
  24. net — for catching

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