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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. craft — a skill
  3. club — for dancing
  4. net — for catching
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — army training
  9. net — in sport
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. net — after costs
  12. kid — child
  13. club — for golf
  14. charge — in control
  15. track — a song
  16. craft — boats
  17. kid — to tease
  18. club — a group
  19. charge — electricity
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. drill — a practice
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. charge — a price
  24. track — a path

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