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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 124 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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. lie — to recline
  3. field — for sport
  4. key — for a lock
  5. club — for dancing
  6. field — a subject
  7. club — a group
  8. field — farmland
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. craft — boats
  11. key — the most important part
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. shower — to wash
  14. fine — high quality
  15. craft — a skill
  16. fine — all right
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. key — in music
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. club — for golf
  24. fine — a penalty

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