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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 116 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. net — for catching
  4. craft — a skill
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for golf
  8. pass — a permit
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. rock — a stone
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. rock — music
  13. net — after costs
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. net — in sport
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. craft — boats
  18. kid — child
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. club — for dancing
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. plane — a tool

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