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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 120 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. row — to paddle
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. court — for sport
  7. craft — boats
  8. court — of a king
  9. net — in sport
  10. court — of law
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. club — a group
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. stem — to come from
  15. row — a line
  16. craft — a skill
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bear — the animal
  19. net — after costs
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. net — for catching
  24. club — for golf

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