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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. rash — a series
  3. club — for golf
  4. march — the month
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. mug — a face
  7. last — final
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rash — hasty
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. last — finally
  12. march — music
  13. club — a group
  14. mug — to rob
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. club — for dancing
  18. craft — boats
  19. march — the month
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mug — a cup
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. last — to go on

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