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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. club — a group
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bound — certain
  5. kid — to tease
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. ball — a great time
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bound — tied together
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — for dancing
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. craft — boats
  20. kid — child
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bound — obliged
  24. craft — a skill

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