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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
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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: ball · rash · craft · season · club · arm · tube · clip

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. club — for dancing
  3. clip — to cut
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. club — for golf
  8. craft — a skill
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. rash — hasty
  11. clip — for paper
  12. tube — a container
  13. season — of the year
  14. rash — a series
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a dance
  19. tube — the underground
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. clip — a video
  23. club — a group
  24. arm — part of the body

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