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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 116 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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. club — for golf
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. wound — an injury
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. race — a contest
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. club — a group
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. club — for dancing
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. craft — a skill
  16. race — the arms race
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. craft — boats
  20. race — humankind
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wound — an injury
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. cabinet — ministers

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