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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · lean · club · bowl · craft · patient

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. lean — to bend
  3. club — for dancing
  4. firm — decided
  5. club — a group
  6. craft — boats
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. lean — thin
  11. firm — a company
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. craft — a skill
  17. firm — steady
  18. patient — a sick person

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