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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: craft · mine · club · jam · bound · squash · staff · lie

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. squash — the sport
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — for golf
  5. lie — to recline
  6. staff — employees
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. club — a group
  9. staff — employees
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. craft — boats
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. bound — certain
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bound — tied together
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — for digging
  20. squash — to crush
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bound — obliged
  24. mine — belonging to me

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