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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: season · club · mouse · patient · snap · craft · firm · drill

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. season — of the year
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. drill — a practice
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. club — a group
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. craft — boats
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to click
  14. firm — decided
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. craft — a skill
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — for golf
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. drill — army training
  22. firm — steady
  23. drill — the tool
  24. firm — a company

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