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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cell · wave · craft · date · nail · game · pop · club

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. game — a match
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. club — a group
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — soda
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. date — the fruit
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. cell — a phone
  17. craft — a skill
  18. pop — music
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. craft — boats
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cell — in biology
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. game — wild animals

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