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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. charge — a price
  3. club — for golf
  4. pop — to visit
  5. fine — all right
  6. craft — boats
  7. bound — obliged
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — in cards
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bound — certain
  14. pop — music
  15. prune — to trim
  16. charge — in control
  17. craft — a skill
  18. hand — help
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bound — tied together
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. club — for dancing
  23. pop — soda
  24. charge — electricity

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