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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · arm · mine · row · rock · ball · craft · cue

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. club — for dancing
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. club — for golf
  6. cue — for pool
  7. rock — a stone
  8. ball — a dance
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. cue — a signal
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. club — a group
  13. craft — a skill
  14. rock — music
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. ball — a great time
  19. mine — for digging
  20. row — a line
  21. cue — a hint
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. row — to paddle

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