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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. rash — hasty
  3. club — for golf
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. pop — soda
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. rash — a series
  9. club — a group
  10. pop — to visit
  11. track — a song
  12. craft — boats
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. track — to keep track
  15. staff — a stick
  16. club — for dancing
  17. plane — a tool
  18. staff — employees
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. track — a path
  23. pop — music
  24. staff — employees

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