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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. craft — a skill
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bear — the animal
  7. club — for dancing
  8. march — the month
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. mate — a friend
  11. march — the month
  12. mate — to breed
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — in football
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. club — a group
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. club — for golf
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. march — music
  22. craft — boats
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. trunk — of a car

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