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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a friend
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. court — of a king
  9. mate — a partner
  10. club — for dancing
  11. craft — boats
  12. court — for sport
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. court — of law
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stock — shares
  18. prune — to trim
  19. club — for golf
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. stock — goods
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. prune — to trim
  24. craft — a skill

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