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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. club — for golf
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bat — the animal
  8. craft — boats
  9. current — electric
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. current — of water
  15. drill — army training
  16. prune — to trim
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. club — a group
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. current — happening now
  23. club — for dancing
  24. drill — the tool

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