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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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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: club · present · deal · craft · ground · tube · bore · arm

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bore — to drill
  4. tube — a container
  5. craft — boats
  6. club — for golf
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bore — to tire
  10. craft — a skill
  11. present — there
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — the underground
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. club — for dancing
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — the time now
  24. craft — a handicraft

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