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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. pop — to visit
  3. ball — a dance
  4. craft — boats
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. snap — to click
  8. club — for golf
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. cap — of ice
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — to bear
  17. cap — a lid
  18. club — a group
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. club — for dancing
  21. ball — a great time
  22. chair — a leader
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. chair — to sit on

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