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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. club — for dancing
  4. craft — boats
  5. club — a group
  6. charge — in control
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. charge — a price
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. court — of law
  13. stock — shares
  14. club — for golf
  15. track — a path
  16. court — for sport
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. track — to keep track
  19. court — of a king
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. charge — electricity
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stock — goods
  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