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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 120 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. track — a path
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. track — to keep track
  8. club — for golf
  9. craft — boats
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. snap — to click
  16. club — a group
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. craft — a skill
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. track — a song
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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