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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bore — to drill
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. game — a match
  7. craft — a skill
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. current — happening now
  11. degree — temperature
  12. craft — boats
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bore — to tire
  15. degree — from a university
  16. current — electric
  17. game — wild animals
  18. current — of water
  19. degree — an amount
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. club — for golf
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. club — a group

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