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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. wind — moving air
  3. fine — high quality
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bore — to tire
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to drill
  13. craft — boats
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. drill — army training
  17. kid — child
  18. drill — the tool
  19. craft — a skill
  20. prune — to trim
  21. club — for golf
  22. drill — a practice
  23. club — for dancing
  24. fine — all right

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