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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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  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. tear — from crying
  2. object — to protest
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. club — a group
  5. fork — in a road
  6. craft — boats
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. club — for dancing
  10. firm — decided
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. net — for catching
  13. club — for golf
  14. object — an aim
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. tear — from crying
  19. firm — steady
  20. object — a thing
  21. tear — to rip
  22. firm — a company
  23. craft — a handicraft
  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