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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. shower — to wash
  3. craft — a skill
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. game — wild animals
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — hurry
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. scale — in music
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. club — for dancing
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. club — a group
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. game — a match
  20. craft — boats
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. wave — of the sea

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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