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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. net — after costs
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. object — an aim
  5. root — of a word
  6. club — a group
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. ball — a great time
  9. net — for catching
  10. root — of a plant
  11. craft — a skill
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. net — in sport
  15. date — the fruit
  16. club — for dancing
  17. object — a thing
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. ball — a dance
  20. club — for golf
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. deal — to handle
  23. object — to protest
  24. root — the cause

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