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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. saw — the tool
  3. club — for golf
  4. land — to come down
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. pound — a weight
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. club — a group
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. land — a country
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. club — for dancing
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. land — ground
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a skill

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