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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. stock — shares
  5. bank — for money
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. craft — a skill
  8. squash — the sport
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bank — for money
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. stock — goods
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bank — of a river
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. squash — to crush
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. club — for golf

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