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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. club — for dancing
  3. saw — the tool
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. saw — the tool
  6. club — for golf
  7. fine — high quality
  8. craft — a skill
  9. fine — all right
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. shower — to wash
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. pop — music
  14. club — a group
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. craft — boats
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — to visit
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — to crush
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — in a race

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