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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. club — for golf
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. club — a group
  8. saw — the tool
  9. net — for catching
  10. craft — a skill
  11. net — after costs
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — temperature
  14. craft — boats
  15. game — wild animals
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. game — a match
  19. club — for dancing
  20. dip — to sink
  21. degree — an amount
  22. net — in sport
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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