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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. pound — a weight
  3. root — the cause
  4. clip — a video
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. root — of a word
  7. club — a group
  8. lie — to recline
  9. club — for dancing
  10. craft — a skill
  11. clip — for paper
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. root — of a plant
  14. fine — all right
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. craft — boats
  18. fine — high quality
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — decided
  22. clip — to cut
  23. firm — steady
  24. pound — to hit hard

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