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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. craft — boats
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. suit — in cards
  5. field — farmland
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. present — a gift
  9. craft — a skill
  10. field — for sport
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. drill — army training
  13. perch — the fish
  14. field — a subject
  15. band — a ring
  16. drill — the tool
  17. suit — to fit
  18. present — there
  19. present — the time now
  20. drill — a practice
  21. band — a music group
  22. suit — clothes
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for dancing

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