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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. rash — hasty
  5. club — a group
  6. row — to paddle
  7. band — a music group
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. band — a ring
  10. charge — in control
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. face — to confront
  14. charge — a price
  15. face — part of the head
  16. rash — a series
  17. craft — boats
  18. row — a line
  19. face — to point toward
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. charge — electricity
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. row — a quarrel

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