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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. saw — the tool
  3. club — for golf
  4. staff — a stick
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pop — soda
  7. chip — for betting
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. club — a group
  11. chip — to eat
  12. plane — a tool
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. cell — in biology
  16. staff — employees
  17. club — for dancing
  18. cell — a phone
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pop — to visit
  21. craft — a skill
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. craft — boats
  24. staff — employees

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