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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 · net · pit · ball · game · craft · fine · rash

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. net — after costs
  4. ball — a dance
  5. game — wild animals
  6. rash — hasty
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — for dancing
  9. pit — a hole
  10. craft — boats
  11. pit — in a race
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. net — in sport
  16. fine — all right
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. net — for catching
  19. ball — a great time
  20. rash — a series
  21. fine — high quality
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. craft — a skill
  24. game — a match

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