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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. craft — a skill
  4. pass — a permit
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. key — in music
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. key — for a lock
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. squash — to crush
  13. key — the most important part
  14. clip — to cut
  15. club — for golf
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — the sport
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — boats
  20. club — for dancing
  21. clip — a video
  22. clip — for paper
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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