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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 120 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: game · saw · calf · club · object · rock · mine · craft

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. club — for golf
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. club — for dancing
  6. mine — for digging
  7. object — an aim
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. game — a match
  12. game — wild animals
  13. object — a thing
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. craft — a skill
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. rock — a stone
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. saw — the tool
  22. object — to protest
  23. rock — music
  24. calf — a young animal

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