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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. club — for dancing
  3. net — in sport
  4. roll — a cake
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. net — for catching
  11. swing — to play on
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. pass — a permit
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. swing — music
  16. craft — boats
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. swing — in golf
  19. club — a group
  20. net — after costs
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. roll — a list
  23. club — for golf
  24. pass — to spend time

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