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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 124 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. club — a group
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. last — finally
  8. last — to go on
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. ball — a dance
  11. sharp — clever
  12. craft — boats
  13. club — for dancing
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. club — for golf
  16. pound — a weight
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. ball — a great time
  20. last — final
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — to hit hard

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