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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. mate — a partner
  3. club — a group
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. pitch — completely
  6. rock — a stone
  7. craft — a skill
  8. firm — a company
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — after costs
  11. club — for dancing
  12. mate — to breed
  13. firm — steady
  14. bark — to shout
  15. rock — music
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. firm — decided
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. craft — boats
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. net — in sport
  22. mate — a friend
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. craft — a handicraft

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