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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. land — ground
  3. craft — a skill
  4. land — to come down
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. deal — to handle
  8. craft — boats
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bass — low music
  11. track — a path
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bore — to drill
  14. club — for golf
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. land — a country
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. pop — music
  21. club — for dancing
  22. track — a song
  23. pop — soda
  24. bass — the fish

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