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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. pass — a permit
  3. tube — the underground
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. club — for dancing
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. tube — a container
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mark — a trace
  14. craft — a skill
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. craft — boats
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. club — a group
  23. cell — in biology
  24. mark — a grade

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