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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 116 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: bass · stem · ball · file · craft · rock · club · march

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. file — a tool
  3. stem — to come from
  4. craft — boats
  5. rock — music
  6. march — the month
  7. bass — low music
  8. club — for golf
  9. ball — a dance
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bass — the fish
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. march — the month
  17. ball — a great time
  18. rock — a stone
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. file — a line of people
  21. march — music
  22. file — a document
  23. craft — a skill
  24. rock — to move gently

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