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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. net — after costs
  3. craft — a skill
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. face — to point toward
  7. craft — boats
  8. net — in sport
  9. suit — in cards
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. face — to confront
  12. last — finally
  13. last — to go on
  14. club — a group
  15. suit — to fit
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. face — part of the head
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. suit — clothes
  20. net — for catching
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. last — final
  23. club — for dancing
  24. fork — in a road

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