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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. craft — boats
  6. roll — a list
  7. club — a group
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. content — happy
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. track — a song
  12. roll — a cake
  13. content — the amount
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. craft — a skill
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. track — a path
  19. club — for golf
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. track — to keep track
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. club — for dancing

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