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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: game · craft · wake · club · mark · fine · rule · tear

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. wake — a trail
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. mark — a trace
  5. club — for golf
  6. tear — from crying
  7. mark — a grade
  8. craft — a skill
  9. fine — high quality
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for dancing
  13. rule — a law
  14. game — wild animals
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. game — a match
  17. tear — from crying
  18. craft — boats
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. tear — to rip
  21. fine — all right
  22. rule — government
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. fine — a penalty

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