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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · bear · shower · game · spell · fine · club · craft

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. can — to be able to
  3. shower — to wash
  4. craft — boats
  5. can — a tin
  6. game — a match
  7. can — a tin
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — letters
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bear — the animal
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for dancing
  17. fine — high quality
  18. game — wild animals
  19. shower — rain
  20. fine — all right
  21. spell — magic
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bear — the animal
  24. club — for golf

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