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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. craft — a skill
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — a stone
  9. craft — boats
  10. club — for dancing
  11. squash — the sport
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. club — for golf
  14. game — wild animals
  15. toast — bread
  16. game — a match
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bass — low music
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rock — music
  24. squash — the vegetable

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