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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — hurry
  3. court — for sport
  4. club — for golf
  5. sharp — clever
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. board — to get on
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. rock — music
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bear — the animal
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. club — a group
  16. court — of a king
  17. board — a committee
  18. craft — boats
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. craft — a skill
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — a stone
  24. court — of law

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