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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — after costs
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. date — the fruit
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. net — for catching
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. club — for dancing
  14. craft — boats
  15. rule — a law
  16. object — a thing
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. object — an aim
  19. rule — government
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. craft — a skill
  22. club — a group
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. object — to protest

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