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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 120 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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cue — a hint
  4. band — a music group
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. club — a group
  7. cue — for pool
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. craft — a skill
  11. track — to keep track
  12. club — for dancing
  13. craft — boats
  14. cue — a signal
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. track — a path
  18. mine — for digging
  19. dip — to sink
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a ring
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. club — for golf
  24. track — a song

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