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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 120 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. staff — employees
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a music group
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. staff — a stick
  9. net — for catching
  10. club — a group
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. craft — a skill
  15. spring — the season
  16. net — in sport
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. staff — employees
  19. net — after costs
  20. club — for dancing
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. sharp — clever
  23. club — for golf
  24. spring — of water

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