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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. row — a line
  3. fall — the season
  4. row — to paddle
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. club — for golf
  7. track — a song
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. club — a group
  10. foot — a measure
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — boats
  15. saw — the tool
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. track — to keep track
  20. club — for dancing
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. track — a path
  24. racket — a loud noise

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