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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — in sport
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. degree — an amount
  12. club — for golf
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — to shout
  16. plane — a tool
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a skill
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. club — for dancing
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. net — for catching
  24. degree — from a university

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