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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. sharp — clever
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. capital — money
  7. press — newspapers
  8. mug — a face
  9. press — to push
  10. rash — hasty
  11. club — for golf
  12. craft — a skill
  13. mug — to rob
  14. rash — a series
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. craft — boats
  17. club — for dancing
  18. capital — a city
  19. mug — a cup
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. press — a publisher
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. sharp — with an edge

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