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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. net — in sport
  3. swing — music
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. net — after costs
  8. craft — a skill
  9. hand — in cards
  10. cap — of ice
  11. date — the fruit
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bear — the animal
  14. net — for catching
  15. craft — boats
  16. swing — in golf
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. board — a committee
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. cap — a hat
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. cap — a lid

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