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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for dancing
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — thin
  8. bass — the fish
  9. spell — a short time
  10. bass — low music
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. craft — a skill
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. club — for golf
  16. rash — a series
  17. fine — all right
  18. craft — boats
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. fine — high quality
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. spell — magic
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rash — hasty

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