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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. net — after costs
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. net — in sport
  5. club — for golf
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — a leader
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. net — for catching
  12. craft — a skill
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. craft — boats
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. march — the month
  18. rock — music
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. club — for dancing
  21. march — the month
  22. club — a group
  23. march — music
  24. rock — a stone

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