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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. club — for golf
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a skill
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. file — a tool
  9. club — a group
  10. cue — for pool
  11. file — a document
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. cue — a hint
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. board — to get on
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. cue — a signal
  20. foot — a measure
  21. file — a line of people
  22. board — a committee
  23. club — for dancing
  24. date — on the calendar

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