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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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. key — for a lock
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. craft — boats
  6. race — humankind
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — a series
  10. club — for dancing
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. club — for golf
  13. key — in music
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. key — the most important part
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. craft — a skill
  18. fine — all right
  19. race — the arms race
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. date — the fruit
  22. race — a contest
  23. fine — high quality
  24. date — on the calendar

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