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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. mug — to rob
  3. deal — to handle
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. club — a group
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. file — a document
  8. rash — hasty
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. face — to confront
  12. file — a tool
  13. pitch — completely
  14. club — for dancing
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. file — a line of people
  17. face — part of the head
  18. club — for golf
  19. rash — a series
  20. face — to point toward
  21. craft — boats
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — a face

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