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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. club — for golf
  6. craft — a skill
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. game — wild animals
  10. craft — boats
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. net — after costs
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. rash — hasty
  15. net — in sport
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. game — a match
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rash — a series
  20. net — for catching
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. club — for dancing
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. club — a group

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