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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.

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: squash · firm · craft · game · land · spell · club · leaves

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. spell — letters
  3. squash — the sport
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. firm — steady
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. game — wild animals
  8. firm — a company
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. spell — a short time
  12. land — ground
  13. club — for dancing
  14. craft — a skill
  15. spell — magic
  16. game — a match
  17. squash — to crush
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. club — for golf
  20. land — a country
  21. land — to come down
  22. craft — boats
  23. firm — decided
  24. game — a kind of play

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