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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. clip — for paper
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. club — for golf
  7. clip — to cut
  8. clip — a video
  9. craft — a skill
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. craft — boats
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. club — a group
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. coach — a trainer

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