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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. field — for sport
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — a group
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. suit — to fit
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. club — for dancing
  11. field — farmland
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mark — a grade
  16. suit — clothes
  17. mine — for digging
  18. field — a subject
  19. can — a tin
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. suit — in cards
  23. craft — boats
  24. mark — a trace

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