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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — for dancing
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. charge — a price
  6. club — a group
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — boats
  11. pop — music
  12. lean — thin
  13. charge — electricity
  14. lean — to bend
  15. pop — soda
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. scale — in music
  22. charge — in control
  23. pop — to visit
  24. scale — size or range

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