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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: game · craft · arm · rock · rush · club · file · pit

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. craft — boats
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. file — a tool
  5. rock — music
  6. club — for golf
  7. game — a match
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. file — a line of people
  10. rush — hurry
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pit — in a race
  13. rock — a stone
  14. game — wild animals
  15. craft — a skill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. club — for dancing
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. file — a document
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. club — a group

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