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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 120 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. craft — boats
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. club — for golf
  5. pit — in a race
  6. club — a group
  7. net — after costs
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. craft — a skill
  11. net — in sport
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. march — the month
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — the cause
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. root — of a plant
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. net — for catching
  23. pit — a hole
  24. safe — a strongbox

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