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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: club · file · spring · object · wake · craft · present · bowl

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. club — a group
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — a coil
  5. present — the time now
  6. wake — a trail
  7. file — a tool
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — for dancing
  14. craft — boats
  15. object — to protest
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. file — a line of people
  18. present — a gift
  19. object — a thing
  20. file — a document
  21. craft — a skill
  22. spring — the season
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. present — there

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