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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. club — for dancing
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. fine — all right
  8. rash — a series
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. mine — for digging
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. craft — boats
  15. club — for golf
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. craft — a skill
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fine — high quality
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. rash — hasty
  24. stem — to come from

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