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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. club — for golf
  3. march — music
  4. craft — boats
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. game — wild animals
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. track — a path
  11. march — the month
  12. track — a song
  13. craft — a skill
  14. club — for dancing
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. fork — in a road
  18. game — a match
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. march — the month
  21. track — to keep track
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. club — a group

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