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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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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 · fine · pit · craft · ruler · mine · swing · court

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. pit — a hole
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. craft — a skill
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. club — for dancing
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. swing — in golf
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. court — of a king
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. pit — in a race
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. fine — high quality
  15. swing — to play on
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. fine — all right
  18. club — a group
  19. swing — music
  20. court — for sport
  21. mine — for digging
  22. court — of law
  23. club — for golf
  24. craft — boats

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