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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — in a race
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rest — what's left
  11. craft — a skill
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cold — not warm
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. club — for dancing
  17. stem — to come from
  18. club — for golf
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. craft — boats
  21. cold — an illness
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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