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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. roll — a cake
  4. can — a tin
  5. prune — to trim
  6. can — a tin
  7. net — after costs
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. can — to be able to
  10. net — in sport
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. club — for dancing
  13. craft — a skill
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. craft — boats
  16. prune — to trim
  17. net — for catching
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. club — for golf
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a list
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. jam — in traffic

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