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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: clip · club · can · craft · bay · object · pop · jam

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — to protest
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. club — for dancing
  8. can — to be able to
  9. craft — a skill
  10. club — for golf
  11. object — a thing
  12. can — a tin
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. clip — a video
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. can — a tin
  17. clip — to cut
  18. craft — boats
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — music
  22. clip — for paper
  23. pop — to visit
  24. club — a group

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