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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 120 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: club · swing · cap · fall · tube · craft · mine · object

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. cap — a hat
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. cap — a lid
  7. mine — for digging
  8. swing — to play on
  9. object — to protest
  10. tube — a container
  11. object — an aim
  12. club — a group
  13. tube — the underground
  14. club — for golf
  15. craft — boats
  16. cap — of ice
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. club — for dancing
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. object — a thing
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — music

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