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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. key — in music
  3. shower — rain
  4. key — for a lock
  5. club — for dancing
  6. craft — boats
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a trace
  9. pitch — completely
  10. kick — in football
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. shower — to wash
  13. club — a group
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. wind — moving air
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. mark — a grade
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. club — for golf
  20. key — the most important part
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. wind — moving air

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