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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. track — a path
  3. craft — a skill
  4. track — a song
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bound — obliged
  8. press — newspapers
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bound — tied together
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. club — for dancing
  14. rash — a series
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. club — for golf
  18. rash — hasty
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bound — certain
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. track — to keep track
  23. press — to push
  24. craft — boats

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