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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. craft — a skill
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. court — of law
  5. club — for golf
  6. rash — a series
  7. court — of a king
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. court — for sport
  13. rash — hasty
  14. club — for dancing
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. band — a ring
  17. wind — moving air
  18. club — a group
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. band — a music group
  22. craft — boats
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wind — moving air

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