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

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — boats
  3. swing — in golf
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — soda
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. craft — a skill
  11. net — in sport
  12. pop — to visit
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. snap — to click
  15. mate — a partner
  16. net — for catching
  17. swing — to play on
  18. mate — to breed
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mate — a friend
  21. net — after costs
  22. kick — in football
  23. swing — music
  24. kick — a thrill

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