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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  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. club — for dancing
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. track — a song
  6. capital — money
  7. craft — boats
  8. track — to keep track
  9. net — in sport
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. net — for catching
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. net — after costs
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. track — a path
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for golf
  23. capital — a city
  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