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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. rush — hurry
  3. press — to push
  4. track — a path
  5. club — a group
  6. bear — the animal
  7. club — for dancing
  8. press — a publisher
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. board — a committee
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. press — newspapers
  16. craft — boats
  17. bear — the animal
  18. march — music
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. track — a song
  21. track — to keep track
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. board — to get on
  24. craft — a skill

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