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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 116 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. club — for dancing
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. craft — boats
  11. club — for golf
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. club — a group
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. tear — from crying
  17. band — a music group
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bulb — for light
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. tear — to rip
  24. pass — a permit

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